Table Walking - an Appalachian divination technique

There are many ways to divine the future and speak with the spirit world, and every culture has their own unique and shared ways to do so. There is the spirit board or the ouija board that has become a popular method worldwide. The ouija board has an unfortunate reputation due to movies such as the Exorcist, Ouija, etc... However, the board itself is not just an open door invitation to "evil and demonic" forces. Which that topic could be its own entire blog post (stay tuned for that. I'll get to it eventually.) But this blog post is about an Appalachian technique that my Great Aunt Fern told me about when I interviewed her back in October 2001. 

"Now I've seen a table walk. I sure have. I was present; I guess I admit it. I was involved in it. I'm no witch, don't get me wrong. But I did. I sure That's true. That table would stand up on one leg, it's stand up on two legs. You had to talk to it. Which is a terrible, terrible sin. I know I was just a teenager, and stuff that I shouldn't have been involved in. 'Course mommy about beat me to death when she found out that I was present in it..."

"...You could ask that table how old you were, and it could peck out the age. Ask how may people was in the room, and it would peck out the numbers in that room."(as recorded in October 2001).

Very similar to the beliefs about ouija boards a lot of people in Appalachia felt the same way about Table Walking; as my Great Aunt Fern described her mommy's reaction to finding out about Fern being part of it. It is advisable to remember that any time you take part in a conjuring of a spirit to communicate through an object that you set up strict rules about who/what can communicate through the object, how long it can communicate, and that it is not allowed to stay after the communication has ended. 

Before you begin it is important to say a prayer or incantation of protection. A simple prayer would be something similar to:

"Mother Appalachia and Father Allegheny watch and protect us while we open ourselves to receive the communication from the spirit world. Only allow those spirits which have our best interest at heart to communicate and use this table. Fill us with your Divine light and protect us.

-Amen "

(you can pray to whichever deity you worship. Or if you do not worship any deity then just say a focused intention of protection and intention)

So how does one get a table to walk and talk?

1.  The table needs to have four legs. It can't be one that has a large base that looks like the letter T. It has to have a leg in each corner. 

A natural wood table preferably oak as its the strongest and heaviest. Also, I think this goes back into the scot/Irish roots of oak being a Holy tree, but that wasn't mentioned. 

2.  A quiet room. 

3.  It can be done alone, but results are better with a group. 

Then it's really similar to any other sort of spirit communication:

1.  Make your desire known to the spirit world or to the universe. 

2.  Tell it the table is its vessel fr communication. And it is to be communicated through tapping of the leg or rising up on its legs. 

6. Sit around the table, and begin to ask questions. One question at a time and allow the spirit a few minutes to answer each question. Do not bombard the spirit/table with questions like a machine gun

3.  When you are finished thank the spirit and the table. Dismiss the entities and close off the portal that was opened.

Stay tuned for more blog posts! 

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