Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Charlie Charlie

First we had séances, and they were pretty neat.

Then we had Ouija boards, and they were pretty neat, too.

Now we have Charlie Charlie:

Here's how it works: Take a piece of paper and draw a single horizontal line and a single vertical line that meet in the center. Put a "YES" in two opposing sections and a "NO" in the other two. Place two pencils across the middle of the drawing in a plus-sign formation, with one balanced atop the other so that it can spin.

Ask aloud, "Charlie, Charlie, are you there?" or "Charlie, Charlie, can we play?" and the top pencil will likely move at some point because of how it's balanced. However, some players believe it's a sign that "Charlie" is in the room and ready to take questions.

According to the BBC, Charlie Charlie's origins are murky, but it's clear they have nothing to do with Mexico.

It's an occult ritual like many others: you gather up your materials (pencils, paper), you draw a figure with words on it, you attempt to contact forces beyond the physical, and you complete the ritual with a valediction.  In fact, you actually have to ask the spirit you're summoning if you can end the ritual, and say good-bye when you're done.

So if the people engaging in the Charlie Charlie Challenge take it seriously, they believe, if only for a few moments, that the laying of one pencil upon another can, under certain circumstances, enable one to communicate with a demon or other potentially malevolent spirit.

Instead of gravity and air currents moving the pencil, it's the spirit world.

At least with a Ouija board, you need equipment like a board and planchette.  A séance requires a group willing to hold hands and, typically, a crystal ball.  Charlie Charlie is the most dumbed-down form of divination I've ever seen.

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