How to Play the Spirit Channeling Game "Ghost"

Reviewed by Jason Zuk

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 References

"Ghost" is a game that can reach beyond the veil that separates the physical world from the world of ghosts. To begin playing, you will have to channel a spirit, and once you do you will be able to ask it questions and receive answers. The spirit communicate with you either through a deck of playing cards or through a coin on a homemade spirit board. But in both cases, unless you are supernaturally gifted, it is unlikely that you will be able to see or hear the spirits you summon. That will not, however, prevent you from finding the answers that you seek.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Summoning a Ghost (Classic Version)

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1
Gather your spirit summoning tools. It's no small task calling a ghost from the spirit world into the human world, even for a short time. However, there are items that can be used in a special ritual to enable communication between you and the spirits. To summon a ghost you'll need:
- Normal playing cards (1 deck)
- Candles (5)
- Lighter/matches
- Salt (rock salt preferred)
- Friends (optional)
2
Find an ideal location. The spirits are sometimes hesitant to make contact with the human world in broad daylight, where their powers are weakest. You can improve your chances of contacting the spirit world by:
- Waiting until after sun has set to play this game.
- Drawing curtains or hanging blankets over your windows to block out the light.
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For the purposes of summoning a spirit to answer questions, you won't need a complicated magic circle to protect you. Sprinkle a fine line of salt in a broad circle around the area where you will be summoning your spirit. Salt has purifying properties, and will form an impenetrable barrier that evil spirits will not be able to pass.^{[1]
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4
Place your candles in a summoning formation. There are many different patterns that ghosts respond to, and you should feel free to follow your instincts while setting up your candles. However, for best results, you should place your candles:
- One in each of the cardinal directions at the edge of the magic circle: north, south, east, and west. This symbolizes the ends of the earth from which you are calling the spirits.
- The fifth candle should be placed in front of the person who summons the ghost, to boost his connection with the spirit world.
5
Light your candles and sit in summoning position. If you are the summoner, you should sit as close to the center of the magic circle as possible, and you should have a clear, unblocked view of the candles surrounding you. If friends are joining you in your summoning, they should sit inside the magic circle and between the candles.
- Blocking the view between the summoner and the candles can weaken his connection with the spirit world and cause the summoning to fail.
- Always exercise caution when around an open flame. If you or one of your friends knocks a candle over and starts a fire, you spirit channeling game could turn into big trouble.
6
Shuffle your cards nine times, and cut the deck five times. If you are the summoner, you should shuffle the deck of cards regularly until you bridge the deck exactly nine times. After you have shuffled and bridged the deck nine times, cut the deck five times. While doing this, keep your mind clear, and be sure there are no interruptions.
- In numerology, the number "9" represents patience, meditation, and the rewarding of tests.^{[3]
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  Research source} By shuffling until you bridge nine times, you invoke the nature of this number.
- In numerology, the number "5" represents harmony, balance, and consciousness.^{[4]
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  Research source} By cutting the deck five times, you establish a harmonious union with consciousnesses outside of your magic circle.
7
Have each person involved add their energy to the ritual. If you have friends taking part in your summoning, hold out the deck of cards to them face down. Have each person touch the palm of their right hand to the deck of cards, but do not let go of the deck at any point.
- If the summoner loses contact with the deck, his connection with the spirit world could be weakened.
- Each person touching the deck with their right hands symbolizes the right handed path of magic, sometimes called white magic.^{[5]
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  Research source
  Evans, Dave (2007). The History of British Magick after Crowley. Hidden Publishing.}

Communicating with the Spirits

Lay out your cards in 11 at a time, arranged neatly in regular intervals. The number 11 is symbolic of revelation and insight, and by dealing your cards in sets of 11, you will improve your chances of revelation.^{[6]
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2
Communicate with the spirits through the summoner. The summoner will have the strongest connection with the spirit world due to the fact that he is at the focal point of the ritual. Now that the cards are in place, the summoner can ask:
- “Are the spirits willing to speak with us tonight?”
3
Turn over cards to receive your answer, if you are the summoner. In this ritual, the summoner is acting as the spiritual medium, so he will have to ask all questions to the spirits and turn over cards to find their answer. To find the card the spirits have chosen as the answer to your question:
- Hold your hand over the card for several seconds, with your mind clear.
- Move your hand from card to card.
- Flip over the card you feel giving off heat.
4
Interpret the answer of the spirits according to the card revealed. Cards have long been used to predict the future through a practice of fortune telling known as cartomancy.^{[7]
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Research source} The ritual you performed will have given the spirits the ability to answer through suits in the following way:
- Hearts - Yes
- Spades - No
- Diamonds - Maybe
- Clubs - I don’t know
5
Ask questions through the summoner. If you are the summoner, you'll have to ask questions for your friends. Ask the question out loud, in a clear voice, and then hold your hand above the cards you've laid face down to feel which is giving off the most heat. Turn over that card to receive the answer to your question.
- Once you have run out of cards, you can deal another 11 card to receive more answers.
- In total, you may deal 11 sets of cards three times. If you deal your answer cards a fourth time, you will be bound by the characteristics of that number.
- The number "4" represents totality or perfection, but is also associated in many numerologies as an unlucky number.^{[8]
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6
Specify your questions to get better answers. Messages that come through the veil from the spirit world are often jumbled and confused. Because of this, the more complicated the question you ask, the more likely the answer you receive might not make sense.
- If you receive the answers "I don't know" or "Maybe" to many of your questions, you may have summoned a weak ghost that doesn't know much.
Some places are full of spiritual energy, making these more ideal for the summoning of and communication with spirits. People operate on a similar principle; some people have a natural talent for connecting with the spirit world.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using a Coin and Spirit Board

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1
Collect your supplies for communicating with the spirits. You'll need to make a spirit board to channel the energies flowing from the spirit world into answers to your question. This method is less dependent on the skills of the medium, so it's a good option for beginners. To make your spirit board and communicate with a ghost, you'll need:
- Paper
- Pencil
- Candles (5)
- Lighter/matches
- Salt (rock salt preferred)
- Friends (optional)
2
Locate yourself where your summoning won't be disturbed. Bright light and loud noise can interrupt the flow of spirit energy from the spirit world into your spirit board, making it difficult to get the answers you seek. You might consider:
- Waiting until late at night.
- Finding a remote location.
3
Prepare your spirit board. Take your blank sheet of paper and write every letter of the alphabet on it along with the numbers zero through nine. You should use large handwriting and leave some space between the letters and numbers to make interpreting the message from the spirits easier.
- You may also want to include the words initium and terminus on your spirit board. These terms mean "start" and "end" in Latin, respectively.
4
Open a spirit channel from your spirit board to the realm of ghosts. Lay your spirit board so that it is flat on the floor or table where you intend to summon your ghost. Around your spirit board, sprinkle a fine line of salt to create a circle of protection.^{[9]
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Research source} Then:
- Place a candle at each of the four points of the compass around the outside of the circle of protection and light each.
- Place your fifth candle above the topmost edge of the middle of your board and light it as well.
5
Place a coin on your spirit board and invoke the spirits. Do not place your coin on any letters or numbers, instead place it on a blank space on your spirit board. Then, join hands with any friends that are with you around the spirit board, and say:
- "Spirit, we call to you from beyond the veil. Answer our call."
6
Determine if your summoning worked. Sometimes, the alignment of the stars or other factors in nature can close the doors of the spiritual world, making communication with spirits all but impossible. To make sure you have a good connection with the spirit world through your spirit board, you should first ask:
- "Spirit, are you willing to speak with us tonight?"
7
Touch the coin to provide it with energy and get your answer. Have each person involved in the summoning place a single finger on the coin lightly. You do not want to exert pressure on the coin, you only want to provide it with enough of your energy to reveal the answer of the spirit.
- After waiting a period of time, the coin should begin to move, pausing for moments on letters and numbers.
- Record all places the coin pauses until it either stops moving or comes to a rest on the word terminus, or "end" in Latin.
Messages from the spirit world are often unclear, out of context. You may not be able to decipher a message right away. If you are talking to a particularly lively spirit, you may want to have a member write down each of the letters or numbers indicated by the pausing of the coin.

Community Q&A

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Question

Are all spirits evil?

Community Answer

No, not all. Some can be family members that have passed away or someone who died in the house a long time ago.

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How do I end the game?

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Say, "thank you and goodbye." Blow out any candles and then clean up protection circle last.

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Are the ghosts dangerous?

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They can be. The magic circle is there to protect you from them and cast away negative spirits. Never do this without a magic circle; far too many things could go wrong.

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Tips

You don't need all five candles, generally, especially if there's only two to three people, one candle will suffice. Alternatively, you may wish to align the five candles along a pentagram-like shape, so as to symbolize the five elements (most people consider the extra one "Aether" or "Spirit")

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Never assume you can only ask yes/no questions, but you will need a medium to let the spirit talk, such as the spirit board, or a person whom the spirit can possess.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

When communicating with spirits, greet them as if they were any other living person and be polite to avoid angering any spirits. Remember, ghosts have feelings too!
Spirits may be repelled by a lot of salt, so keep your salt rings to around the cards rather than on them.
If you feel uncomfortable playing Ghost, invite a couple of friends to keep you safe and comfortable.

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Warnings

If you or any of your friends feel uncomfortable at any point during the game, you should stop immediately.

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Always exercise caution around open flames, like lit candles.

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There are many unexplained phenomenon in this world, but the purpose of both versions of this game is to have fun.

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