What Is A Pendulum?
In terms of spirituality, a pendulum is merely an extension of the person who wears or uses it, and that its movement results from the energy meridians in your body. Historically, these items have been used for healing purposes, protection against evil forces, guidance, self-cleansing and “dowsing”. Pendulums can also be used to answer personal questions. The belief is that when you ask a pendulum questions (and it moves to denote the answer) you are summoning your subconscious mind through your body’s energy.
Choosing A Pendulum
Only you can decide which pendulum is the right one for yourself (unless, of course, you are ‘divinely guided’ to choose one for someone else).It will be something that looks attractive, instinctually ‘feels right’, and is comfortable to hold and use.
How To Operate A Pendulum
It is usually best to start working with a pendulum on your own. The presence of other people can be distracting when you first start and you will progress more rapidly in comfortable surrounds on your own.
Most people prefer to use a pendulum using the same hand that they write with. Practice with both hands, but start your experiments with your right hand, if you are right-handed and your left if you are left-handed.
If you are sitting down, rest your elbow on a table and hold the thread or chain of your pendulum between your thumb and first finger with minimal pressure. Your elbow should be the only part of your body in direct contact with the table. Make sure that your stomach or other hand is not inadvertently touching the table. The palm of your hand should be facing downward, and the pendulum should be hanging about a foot in front of you. (If you are standing, the best position is to have an angle of ninety degrees at the elbow, so that your forearm is parallel to the ground.) Make sure that your hands and legs are uncrossed. If you subconsciously protect yourself in this way, you will ‘close off’ the pendulum, and diminish any success in its workings.
Everyone is capable of using the pendulum. You do not need to be specially gifted, or be ‘the seventh son of a seventh son’, or worry about how much time it takes to get your pendulum moving. The pendulum will start working more quickly in the hands of someone who is open, imaginative, and receptive to new ideas, than it will when held by someone who is logical, methodical, and precise. However, with practice and a willingness to suspend disbelief, you will become proficient in its use.
Your pendulum is likely to respond in one of four ways: it may move backward and forward, from side to side, or swing in a circle, either clockwise or counterclockwise.
Make a note of the response that indicates a ‘yes’ answer for you. Then ask what response indicates ‘no’, ‘I don’t know’ and ‘I don’t want to answer’.
These responses will probably remain the same for the rest of your life, with that particular pendulum; however, it pays to check them every now and again, as change is possible. The best time to check the responses is whenever you have not used the pendulum for a while. If you are using it almost every day, the responses will usually remain the same.
How To Ask Questions
IMPORTANT – Always begin your questions with ‘In The Name Of The Light…’
Start by asking questions that you already know the answers for. You might ask: “In the name of the light… am I male?” If you are, the pendulum should answer ‘yes’. Obviously, the answer would be ‘no’ if you are female. You can ask similar questions about your name, age, marital status, number of children, and so on. The purpose of this is to get used to the movements of the pendulum and to demonstrate the validity of the answers it provides. You will find that it makes no difference if you think the questions in your head or ask them out loud.
Once the pendulum has confirmed the questions that you know the answers to, you can start to ask it questions that you would like to know the answers to. The pendulum is able to answer these because it can tap your subconscious mind for the answers, and then bring them back to your conscious mind. Your conscious mind knows a reasonable amount, but your powerful subconscious mind contains much, much more information. You could compare your mind to an iceberg. The conscious mind is the small part above water, and your subconscious is the much larger portion that is hidden from view.
Be careful with your questions initially. Try to hold the question loosely in your mind’s eye, concentrating on the question itself rather than the answer or response of the pendulum. This is important because it is possible to override the movements of the pendulum with your will or strong desire for a certain outcome. For example, if you are asking about the sex of an unborn baby. If you secretly hope that it will be a girl, the pendulum will reflect your innermost desires and tell you that the baby will be a girl, even if that is not the case. Consequently , if you have an emotional involvement in the outcome, it is better to leave the question or have someone else ask it for you.
It is a simple matter to demonstrate how you can influence the movements of your pendulum using the power of your mind. Suspend your pendulum and hold it still with your free hand. When it is motionless, remove your hand, and ask the pendulum to move in a particular direction. You will find that after a few seconds the pendulum will move in the direction that you are thinking about. Now, think about a different direction, and you will find that the pendulum will follow your thoughts and move in the new direction.
Wishful thinking can also override the pendulum. If you ask: “Am I God’s gift to women?” the pendulum may give an honest answer (which would be either ‘yes’ or ‘no’). Alternatively, it might give you a mischievous answer (‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t want to answer’), or the answer that you secretly desire. Bear this in mind whenever you use the pendulum to answer questions.
IMPORTANT – The pendulum is not a plaything and should not be used to ask flippant questions. If you ask serious questions, you will invariably receive honest and correct answers. If you use it as a toy, you will receive the answers that you deserve.
Many people have a tendency to ask questions that are impossible for the pendulum to answer with its limited range of responses. For example, the pendulum would not be able to respond to: “Should I spend my summer vacation in New Orleans or San Francisco?” In this instance, you should ask the question twice, once for each city. Focus on your question while holding the pendulum. Repeat it over and over again in your mind. If any other thoughts come into your mind, dismiss them and return to your question. This is because the pendulum may answer one of your passing thoughts, rather than the important matter you are concentrating on. Usually, it is best to ask a series of specific but simple questions, rather than trying to formulate one complicated question that will answer everything with a single movement of the pendulum. This way the answer will be clearer and you will be less likely to receive the “I don’t want to answer” message. When this happens, look at how you asked the question. See if you can ask it again in a different way or in two or three simpler questions that will ultimately answer the original query.
You can also ask the pendulum personal questions about yourself and your past, to help find lost objects, and so much more. The more you use the pendulum, the more uses you will find for it and the more accurately it will work for you.
Mastering The Pendulum
The pendulum is easy to use, however, you will need to practice with it as much as you can to become a skilled ‘diviner’. You are bound to make mistakes when you first start using the pendulum, but these will become fewer as you progress and your progress will improve quickly if you follow a few rules:
- Never use the pendulum frivolously.
- If you can make the decision yourself without using your pendulum, leave it in its bag.
- Do not ask the same question twice in the same session. This implies doubt in both the pendulum and your ability. You must trust the answers your pendulum gives you.
- Never ‘show off’ your abilities with the pendulum. Reinforce your higher self with the skill and experience you’ve attained, and remain humbled by the opportunity you’ve been given to help yourself and others.
- Hold questions loosely in your head and without emotion for a more effective response.
- Use the pendulum for good purposes only and with the best of intentions.
- Start each and every question with ‘In the name of the light…’
As well as this, do not let other people use your pendulum. Your pendulum becomes attuned to you, and you do not want other people’s energies interfering with this. You may accumulate a selection of pendulums over time for different purposes, i.e. healing, etc, that other people can use, however, your personal pendulum is just that – for you only.
Keeping The Pendulum
Pendulums should be stored separately in a pouch or bag, when you are not using them, and left in a sanctified place of your choosing. A personal pendulum should be kept as close to you as possible, either on your person as a piece of jewellery or in your pocket, or in a regularly used bag. This protects it and keeps it within your energies and away from those that are potentially harmful.
Pendulums also need cleansing, more so if they have been amongst various energies other than your own. Some diverse methods include incense, sunlight, running water, moonlight or burying it in the earth. The choice is yours, however, may depend on the substance of your pendulum, i.e. crystal, brass, wood, etc. For example, some crystals, like selenite, are porous and shouldn’t come in contact with water as they will eventually disintegrate.
The pendulum is a tool that can help you immensely. Take care of your pendulum and it will take care of you. It will broaden your horizons and open doors you may never have thought possible. Use it wisely, and enjoy the many benefits it can provide.