It does not matter if you are trying to contact your higher self, the subconscious, astral entities, departed loved ones or angels.  The board works the same.  There are a few rules that you need to know to get the most out of a talking board session:

• Be polite.  Like attracts Like so you will attract those entities or parts of your inner self that most closely matches the mood of the session.  If you are asking frivolous questions you will get a lower level entity or part of your subconscious that will give you frivolous answers.  A higher purpose will hopefully contact upper levels that will give you relevant answers.
• Contact with specific earth bound entities can be area specific.  In other words, an entity that you contact in one area may not be able to be contacted when you are in some other place.
• Candle lighting is not necessary, but most beginners will find that it induces an altered state that is conducive to spirit contact.  The same for incense.  A calm, relaxed mood is also helpful.
• Beginners should not use the talking board alone.  This is not for safety reasons, but that most people are not able to get the board to work at first without two people.  With an increase in experience, this may change.  There is always the possibility that a person operating the board alone will unknowingly influence the outcome of the answers.  For this reason it is actually better to have THREE people at a session.  Two to operate the board and the third to ask the questions.  The person asking the questions can also write down the answers.  A tape recorder may also be used.
• Questions do not have to be spoken out loud.  Mentally thinking the question will result in an answer.  This is an even better method when using three people.  The person mentally asking the questions can not influence the ones operating the board since they do not know the question!
• Write down some questions before the session.  It always seems that I do not remember a question that I had wanted to ask until after the session.  Broad categories are fine.  The questions may change depending on the answers given.  Do not confine yourself too much.  The idea is to remember all the things you wanted to ask, not the exact questions.
• Ask anyone to leave who is not taking the session seriously.  They not only ruin it for the other people present but the spirits usually do not like it.
• Keep a journal of the sessions.  This allows you to not only remember the questions asked, but also to track the correctness of the answers.  The transcripts of the session may be used if they are detailed.

• Prepare the room to your liking.  Have all the materials needed at hand.
• Some people like to do a prayer at the start of a session.  This is not absolutely necessary.  I like to state something like "The people present request the help of a higher level entity.  Out intentions are serious and help would be appreciated".
• Place the talking board on a table or on the laps of two people facing each other.  The knees do not have to be touching.  This is folklore.
• The two people operating the board should place the fingertips of both hands lightly on the planchette or pointer.
• The person asking the questions will ask the board if there is anyone there who would like to speak.
• If an entity answers, wish him/her well and ask if he/she has any messages for any of the people present.
• Ask if the entity has a name that he/she likes to be called.  Not all entities will give a name.  There are several reasons for this which will be discuss in another article.
• Continue the questions.
• Do not be alarmed if the pointer starts making large circles on the board.  There is an old folk tale that says that this is the start of an entity possessing one of the people at the board.  This is totally unfounded.  We have found that this usually indicates that a different entity has started to answer.  Ask if this is the case.  Most times you will get a yes for an answer.
• The session may end one of two ways.  The planchette may go to 'good-bye".  This means that the other side is finished for the time.
• The people at the board may wish to stop.  If this is the case then the entity or entities should be thanked for the answers given and wished well until they agree to talk again.