THE OUIJA BOOK

A Ouija enthusiast spreads her unflappable wings, so get ready with the net. This book lopes through a scattered range of approaches to the subject: on the historical side, we have memorable quotes from ""Patience Worth""--the 17th century ""author"" of some 20th-century works--and other notable Ouija boards down through the years; practically speaking, ""Your touch should be definitely there, but not heavy""; and, waxing philosophical, ""An open-minded skepticism, a critical optimism"" is recommended. There is plenty of equivocation in discussions of whether the procedure taps spirits from the Great Beyond or merely our own subconscious--""There are elements of truth to both these positions."" But the real crunch comes when the author recounts her own enlightening episodes--a Ouija board that (who?) falls in love with the moon (""Oh Beautiful Moon, I Love You"") or the garden plants that utilize the opportunity to speak their piece: ""We broccoli would like you to mulch us."" Please.