How to Use a Pendulum for Insight
What is Pendulum Dowsing?
Pendulum dowsing is the divinatory practice of seeking guidance by interpreting the movements of a pendulum. Dowsing can be used as a forecasting tool, to tap into your inner voice, or seek guidance on the here and now. Read further for a full guide on how to effectively work with your pendulum to find the answers you seek.
Charging Your Pendulum
With any new spiritual tool, Its best practice to clear energy and charge the item. This should be done both when you first get the item and also occasionally when you feel it needs a reset.
By charging your pendulum, you establish connection with it. Before charging, first cleanse. One cleansing method is to place the item in a bowl of soil or sea salt overnight. If you have a selenite bowl, you may place your pendulum in it to clear the energy as selenite has fantastic cleansing properties. You can also smoke cleanse by passing the item through the smoke of sacred herbs or incense. Another method is to leave on the windowsill in the moonlight when the moon is in waning phase.
Once you've cleared old energies, it's time to charge your pendulum. This can also be done a number of ways. Go with what feels most authentic for you. Sound baths either by using a singing bowl or tuning fork or even playing a recording can be highly effective. Leaving your pendulum in the sun or under a waxing moon, or even just sitting and focusing on the energy you want it to have can be all you need. Meditate and connect with the pendulum on a spiritual level. Hold the pendulum in your hand and envision white light radiating from the center of the crystal and merging with your aura. Imagine wisdom, truth, and knowledge pulsing through every atom of the pendulum. Ask that it always guide you true, keep you from harm and confusion, and help you tune into your inner guides.
Tuning Your Pendulum
You may choose to use traditional movements for your yes and no or to tune your pendulum to find your personal yes and no movements. In water dowsing (the practice of searching for water underground) a circular movement indicates a positive. Therefore traditionally many divinatory dowsers will interpret the pendulum tracing a circle in the air to mean, "yes," and a straight back and forth motion to mean, "no." This may or may not feel right for you.
Another option is to ask the pendulum, "What does 'yes' look like for me?" Make note of the movement you receive from this prompt. Next ask, "What does a "no" look like for me?" Make note of that also.
Now that you have what should be your personal yes or no, tune and test by asking questions you already know the definite answer to, such as, "Are my eyes brown?" Ask a few questions like this, questions you know a clear yes or no to ahead of time. If you notice your pendulum is not correctly answering by giving you the movement you have come to expect as your, "yes," and "no," in response to these questions, you may want to start the process over to better tune your pendulum and your energy to find your "yes" and "no" movements. Eventually, you should be getting the same clear and consistent movement to mean "yes" for every yes question, and your "no" movement should also be the same clear "no" movement every time.
Even if you gravitate to using the traditional "yes" circle, "no" back and forth movements, it's helpful to ask a series of yes/no questions you already are sure of the answer to before settling in and doing divination. This helps tune your pendulum to our personal energy and makes clear whether those movements are indeed accurate for you.
Focusing Your Energy
Rest and be still in a safe space with your pendulum. Take 3 deep breaths and let the any distraction in the world around you fall away. It's ok if your attention gets pulled; simply acknowledge that the thought is there, and let it pass by. Be easy with yourself if you do not tune everything out immediately; there is no pressure. Take three deep cleansing breaths. If you feel your mind is cluttered, imagine a long cord connecting from your root (base of your spine) all the way to the center of the earth. Now visualize all the distractions, negativity, and mental clutter as black floating blobs of energy stuck to you, and imagine them flowing down the cord to the center of the earth where they dissolve in the molten core of lava there. Once you have cleared all that energy in your vision, see the cord dissolve. You can then picture healing blue and cleansing white light surrounding you and entering your being. Then, if you wish, imagine a new, strong cord infused with this positive energy growing from your root through the Earth beneath you and grounding you.
Once you feel grounded and focused, you are ready to dowse. Get comfortable while holding your pendulum, and proceed.
Asking Questions
Pendulum divination works best with yes or no questions. With your elbow resting on a table or other level surface, hold your pendulum with the bead between the tips of your thumb, index finger, and middle finger, letting it hang straight down. Allow your mind to clear, and take three deep cleansing breaths. Once you feel centered, focus on the topic you wish to receive guidance on. Start with one clear yes or no question. Don't stop there. Follow up on your initial query with a series of guiding questions to expand your answer. Allow one question to lead into the next, trusting your inner voice to tell you the right questions to ask.
After you've become comfortable working with your pendulum, you may choose to go beyond yes or no questions though they will likely always remain the core of your pendulum dowsing practice. You may introduce a sacred geometry cloth with crystal grid or pendulum board to hold your pendulum over. With a sacred geometry cloth, you may lay out a crystal grid and focus different intentions on each area or crystal you place on the grid. Then you would close your eyes, focus your energy, and let your hand gently move over the grid until you feel called to let it settle in an area. Open your eyes and notice where your pendulum has settled. Think about what the intention you set for the object your pendulum has moved towards means for the topic/question you have focused on. When taking this approach, it's important to attempt to clear your mind and come from a neutral space. Don't attempt to lead the pendulum to an outcome you want, but let your mind clear and your pendulum move freely. Pendulum boards can be a great tool because they have predetermined messages inscribed on them, taking labor of defining and interpreting out.
Whatever method you choose, trust your intuition, allow your inner guide to speak through your pendulum, take your time, and be open.
How does dowsing work?
There are many different beliefs on how divination works, and there is no one right answer. However, there is some scientific backing to go along with your own spiritual inclinations. When Ouija boards were patented, it had to be proved that they worked (though not how) in order to secure a patent. Many years later, scientist did a study that replicated the same findings: we are indeed able to use divinatory tools to tap into knowledge. The working scientific hypothesis is that we are tapping into our own subconscious through the ideomotor phenomenon. The ideomotor phenomenon is when your brain send signals to your body without you consciously thinking about it, such as when you cry at a sad movie. You probably didn't tell yourself to cry, your brain sent those signals to your tear ducts without you having to think about it. Similarly, our subconscious sends signals creating micro-movements through our arm to our fingers without us being aware of moving. Wether our subconscious brain is wiser than we think or we're tapping into a deeper wisdom beyond ourselves is open to interpretation, but there is scientific backing that we tend to answer more accurately when tapping this power. There is a fascinating article in the Smithsonian about spirit boards that discusses their history and the scientific study of how they work. The same principles apply to dowsing as well.
What if it Doesn't Work?
If your pendulum responses are unclear or it does not move easily for you, it's beneficial to clear energy, rest, recharge yourself and your pendulum, and try again when you are in a more neutral and receptive state. As with any divination practice, coming at the process when you are overly anxious, or feeling scattered can reflect in your results and muddy the waters. The more you center yourself and tune your pendulum, the clearer your guidance will be. Remember, practice makes progress. Be patient with yourself and your tools. Give yourself the grace of honoring whatever point in your progress you're at in this moment and knowing that whatever you are feeling now has value. Don't force things. If the messages are not clear in this moment, the attempt and urge to seek answers still held value. Thank yourself and your tools. Then step away and rest before returning to the work.
