Pendulums: The Basics

I’ve had some interest and questions about pendulums recently so now must be the perfect time to write a post about them!

First, for those unfamiliar with what a pendulum is, it is basically an object at the end of a string that will swing a certain way depending on the energy of a question or topic.  They have been used for hundreds of years, similar to dowsing rods used to find water.  A pendulum will swing in a certain direction to answer yes or no questions or to help you locate an item or place.

There are all sorts of rituals some people like to associate with pendulums and if they feel right for you, then go ahead and do them.  Some people only like to use crystal pendulums.  Some people believe that a pendulum has to be cleansed before using it.  Some people believe that each pendulum is different and you have to ask which way is “yes” and which way it swings “no” each time you use it.  If you are these “some people” then go ahead and do these things!  Do what is right for you and your beliefs.

In my beliefs, when you use a pendulum, you can form a connection to your higher self, your guides or other entities.  These entities help you to answer questions that you have.  Because of this, it is important to get your ego and human nature out of the picture.  Yes, you can make a pendulum sway a certain way by thinking “yes” or “no”.  So learning to establish a “blank mind” and figuring out the difference between imagination and intuition is important.

And a caveat here.  Since you have the potential to connect with other entities when using a pendulum, make sure you do some sort of ritual or form of energetic protection before using it.

When to use a pendulum

Now, when can you use a pendulum???  Most people that are searching for information on pendulums already have one and know the basics, they just are so attracted to it that they want to use it more.

You can start with using your pendulum for things that don’t necessarily have a big consequence – like little things. What are you going to have for dinner – which apple from the pile should you eat – where you should go out to dinner (my mind seems to be focused on food right now…but you get the point, little decisions that it doesn’t really matter the outcome). When you do this often enough, you can start to “sense” what it is like for your mind when it is blank – when you aren’t influencing the decision. Don’t feel bad about using a magical tool for mundane questions – think of it as establishing a bond with your pendulum. The more you use it the more your energy will transfer to it and the two of you will “vibe” better.

You can also use your pendulum to find missing objects. This is what I primarily used my pendulum for when I was a kid. Here you know that you aren’t influencing a decision since you don’t know where the object is to begin with. This is how I found a missing tv changer that fell in the pages of a book – I’m not sure I would have ever thought to look in that location without the pendulum pointing me there.

Perhaps my favorite way to use a pendulum is to figure out the state of my chakras and aura.  If you want to know more about how I do this, I have a thorough explanation in my book Chakras and Auras.

How to use Pendulum to strengthen psychic abilities

Pendulums are also excellent tools to help you discern what is your intuition and what isn’t. Pay attention to any of your psychic senses (those Clair Sisters) and see what you get as the answer to a question and then check what your pendulum says. See if you can pick up when something was “on” and when it is just your mind.

For example, you can ask what your day ahead is going to be like to your sense of clairvoyance.  You may get several pictures or images in your head.  Say that you see the image of a snake, a marching band, and a couch.  You aren’t sure if all these images are really symbolic of how your day is going to go or if you just let some of your everyday mental chatter get in the way.

What you can do is write each symbolic image down on a piece of paper (I use my daily planner because I like to keep track of my symbolic images each day).  Then take your pendulum and hold it over the first symbol – the snake.  Ask your pendulum if this is representative of your day.  See what your pendulum “says”.  Then move on to the next symbolic image, and then the next.  This will help you to determine which of your psychic insight was right and which was off the mark.  Try to remember what your energy/mind felt like when you received each of these images.

The one caveat I have is that once you start to feel confident about your psychic senses, don’t use your pendulum to confirm everything. It is all too easy to become dependent on it when your psychic senses are giving you great info without it. But this is a process and don’t feel like you have to put your pendulum aside while learning what to trust.

So really, you can use a pendulum to help answer any kind of question!  It is a very helpful tool in developing your intuition and learning to figure out when you are being psychic and when you are just influencing a decision.

Do you use a pendulum??  What kind of questions do you ask it?  When has it been helpful and when has it been off the mark?