Hope my article can help answer some questions
Medium Laura


The Power of the Pendulum



Divination is a hot topic now days. Everyone wants to know how to tap into the mysteries and magic of our world. Pendulums have been used for thousands years to find out where the best place to dig a well was, to discover the sex of cattle; thus ensuring a good herd for the coming season. The pendulum is an extension of you; your Higher Self and it can be a truth tester for many things in your life.

The pendulum can help you make choices, find lost objects, resolve health problems, communicate with your guides, explore past lives, find a job, find a mate and so much more.

What is a pendulum?
It’s a small weight suspended on a chain, cord or even a bit of string. In early years, people would use their wedding rings hanging from a piece of thread. You can use just about anything that has some weight to it and a cord, string, thread, yarn, to dangle it from. When in a bind and not having my own handy, I have used a thread from my jacket and a paper clip.

You can find some beautifully crafted pendulums for sale all over the internet as well as New Age shops and bookstores. They come in various sizes, stones, weights and more. I have a rather extensive collection of them myself, from those that have precious stones as the weight, to some that I’ve hand crafted from beads I’ve picked up at craft stores. It doesn’t really matter in the end, as long as the pendulum “talks” to you.


How to choose the right one
There really isn’t a “right” one, just one that catches your eye. Is it comfortable to hold and does it swing freely? It shouldn’t be too heavy, a few ounces at best, otherwise it won’t swing very well. Most pendulums will have a point as well. This helps when you are doing map work or needing to have a very small area for the pendulum to pin point. This is up to you though, it will answer you in other ways, even if it isn’t pointed.
Whenever you choose a pendulum, you should hold it about 4 inches from the weight, some people hang it over their pointer finger and grasp it with the thumb. I will dangle it so that it is parallel to my heart and ask “Is this pendulum in harmony with me?” If it moves in any way, then I buy it.

Charging your pendulum
Depending on your beliefs and rituals, some people will “charge” their pendulum to their energy. If you are using a semi precious stone or gem, it is probably a good idea to clear away any other “shoppers” energy from the stone before use. I recommend sitting it on a window sill on a full moon. It’s an old tradition for clearing divination tools, such as Tarot cards and Rune stones.

To charge a pendulum to your energy, some say a prayer while cupping the weight part in their palms. It can be elaborate or simple. I usually say something like this “The light of the Divine surrounds me, The love of the Divine enfolds me, The power of the Divine protects me, The presence of the Divine watches over me, Wherever I am, The Divine is, and all is well. Please send loving and positive energies to this pendulum. Help me to use it for my highest good.”

Getting to work
In the beginning, it is suggested that you use your pendulum for yourself for a while; to establish that connection to it and also to keep you from being frustrated when your friends tell you that you’re wrong! Your pendulum accesses the Universal energies through you, your higher self. Start by doing work for yourself and then later, you can expand it out to find your friend’s keys or to see if Jan’s boyfriend is lying.

Most people will hold their pendulum in the same hand that they write with. At first it may be more comfortable to rest your elbow on a table, hold the string between you first finger and thumb, using the least amount of pressure possible. Your elbow should be the only part of your body that is touching the table. Make sure your stomach or other hand is not. The palm of your hand should be facing downward and your pendulum should be hanging about 1 foot in front of your heart chakra or your body about chest level.
Check to make sure your legs or ankles are uncrossed. Crossing body parts may restrict the flow of energy in your body.





Yes, No and Need more information
These are the basic answers of your pendulum. If you are not using it to dowse for water or an object on a map or area, then Yes, No and Need more information will be the responses you will be looking for when you work with your pendulum.

• Yes – to find your yes, you should first know that this will change from time to time. Depending even on your location on the planet earth. As a good practice, I will check this before every use of my pendulum. You simply relax you mind and breath and relax your body. Hold your pendulum comfortably and ask “Show me a clear sign for yes”
• No – the same this applies here. Except now you want to know which way your pendulum swings when it is giving you a negative response. “Show me a clear sign for no.”
• Need more information – this motion will differ greatly for each person. Mine happens to make clockwise circles if I have not phrased my question correctly or the pendulum has not understood the question I’m asking. “Show me a clear sign for Needs more Info”

Basically, mine will go front to back yes, like a nod of your head. It will go side to side, like the shake of your head for No. Yours may rotate to the left for yes and to the right for no and stand completely still for “needs more info”. Establish this each time you pick up your pendulum and you will not have to wonder “Was that a yes?”

Mine isn’t moving!
Staring at the weight, no matter how hard you will it, the pendulum isn’t moving at all! Don’t panic. Sometimes you may need to give it a push. Before you ask your question, give your pendulum a twirl. Get it moving in a circular motion and then ask “Show me a clear sign for yes”. Let it settle down and eventually, it will be swinging in a repetitive motion for your answer.
Using a pendulum when you are stressed, emotional, under the influence of drugs or alcohol and especially, really tired, is not advised. Your energy is not relaxed and flowing, and neither will your pendulum.


Phrasing your questions
Working with a pendulum is different than other divination tools in the way that it does not predict future events and cannot answer things that have not yet happened.
It can even become confused if you ask a question with multiple answers. “Should I go to Joe’s house or Lisa’s house?” For this instance, you would ask the pendulum each location separately.
I have also been taught a certain way to phrase the question that is infallible. My friend Amy Scott Grant has a You Tube video about it. She recommends that you ask in this way “All things considered, is it optimal that_____?” This covers a lot of unforeseen things you may not have factored into your questioning. Optimal, is basically saying “For my highest good”.
Focus on your question and repeat it over and over again in your mind. I suggest to my students that after they ask the question, start singing a repetitive song like “Happy Birthday.” Why? Just your thoughts of “oh I hope it says yes” will cause it to actually cause it to swing “yes” by pure thought intention.
Amy also suggests that after you ask your question, start thinking of all the food you ate for the day, listing it in your mind, ignoring the pendulum completely until it has settled into a steady rhythm of “yes” or “no”. This keeps your logical mind busy and allows your higher self to answer.

What a pendulum can answer and what it can’t
• A pendulum cannot predict whom you will marry, even if you phrase it separately. You can ask if Joe is for your highest good at this time. You can ask things like “Is it optimal Joe loves children”. You shouldn’t ask if you and Joe will have children, that again is a prediction. When you ask questions about your future, it will more than likely be biased by your own wants and desires, thus giving answers that it cannot know.

• You can ask your pendulum about choices. “All things considered, is it optimal that I attend school in the fall?” “All things considered, is it optimal that I work in the field of electronics?” “is it optimal that I purchase the white car? Is it optimal I purchase the less expensive car?”

• You can ask your pendulum about your current health. “All things considered, is it optimal that stress is causing the headache?” “All things considered, is it optimal that I am afraid of my feelings?” and so on.

• I love to use my pendulum to choose gifts for others. I can walk into a store and mentally find five things that I like and think they would like. Then I ask my pendulum. ATC (all things considered) IIO (is it optimal) that Sue would like the coffee grinder as a gift?” “ATCIIO that Sue would like the diamond necklace best?” Amy also suggests that you use a finger on your hand for each choice. Appointing the ring finger as one gift, the ring finger, the middle finger and then finally the thumb as “other”. Lay your hand flat out on a table and span out your fingers. Hover the pendulum over the hand and then just ask your pendulum which gift would make Sue the happiest. Follow the directional swing and see which finger it’s choosing. I will actually use a pen and write the item on that finger, since I tend to forget which I appointed to what!

• Weather conditions – while to some this may seem like predicting the future; weather, though ever changing, has patterns that are known to your Higher Self. How do the weathermen give you a week’s forecast? They use high tech equipment and predict the course of the weather. Your pendulum can do this for you ask well. If you have a garden party planned for Thursday, you can ask your pendulum if the day will be sunny. You can ask if it will rain all day. You can ask if it will rain only part of the day. Have fun and practice!


Next month I will give you more ways that you can work with your pendulum, things you can ask it and how you can use it in your everyday life.