Occult lore
Planchette
Direct answer
Planchette is a pointer device associated with spirit boards and automatic writing.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Spells & Occult Terms
- Related
- Spell, Grimoire, Discernment, Spiritual Warfare
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The story behind Planchette
A small pointer device patented and sold commercially in the 1850s and 1860s during the spiritualist boom, and later absorbed into the mass produced spirit board; its history is largely a history of manufacture and marketing.
Why Planchette matters
Planchette matters because it is an object in spiritualist and occult material culture.
Sources and editorial method
This entry summarizes the tradition in the Almanac's own words; where no source is listed, it is an editorial summary rather than a primary text, and symbolic readings are named as the tradition's, not as fact.
Recorded here as history and lore. No rite is taught on this page.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Spells & Occult Terms
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is a planchette?
Planchette is a pointer device associated with spirit boards and automatic writing.
Where does a planchette come from?
A small pointer device patented and sold commercially in the 1850s and 1860s during the spiritualist boom, and later absorbed into the mass produced spirit board; its history is largely a history of manufacture and marketing.
What do people get wrong about a planchette?
The usual misreading is to explain how to use a planchette.
