Intro to Divination: Pendulums

I can still remember the first divination class I attended, “Pendulums 101.” I was awestruck.

I had to walk out of the shop that night with my jaw in my bag for it had fallen onto the floor countless times throughout the evening.

There is much controversy on the accuracy and validity of if, how, and why pendulums work. And to be quite honest, I’d be lying if I said I had all the answers.

The reason I am so deeply fascinated by pendulums is not only because it’s yet another excuse to utilize crystals, but because they prompt me to listen to my intuition, to myself. I’d also be lying if I said that pendulums don’t frustrate me at times.

They are simple to use and carry, but what I am learning as one of the most important pieces of advice when it comes to working with pendulums is to follow your own intuition. Like any other form of divination, I use them as a guide, a poke in the right direction to listen to myself, to tune into what I already know.

I find that my personal use for pendulums is more geared towards confirmation than discovery. That being said, as with any divination tool or divinatory practice, the outcomes are solely reliant on you, on your choices, your freewill, your internalization and actions taken along your path.

So, as I like to say, take what I say with a grain of salt (or two), as this is from my personal experience and knowledge.

:) This is the first pendulum I got from the class, it’s a sunstone!

What is a Pendulum? 

Pendulums are a divination tool for anyone! A basic, physical definition is that a pendulum is a weight that is hung from a fixed, even point, allowing it to freely swing. However, within the practice of divination, pendulums extend far beyond this into mental and spiritual interpretations. There is much speculation on the validity and explanation of how a pendulum works, so take and run with what you will from what I say, using it as fuel for further exploration. One of the ways in which we may look at how a pendulum works is through the ideomotor response, or muscle contraction by subconscious movements of the hand. This tool responds to our energetic fields to connect with our higher selves, sending those ideomotor reflexes to indicate a swing for response. Another interpretation is that the pendulum swings in response to the earth’s electromagnetic field and acts as a transmitter. If neither of these jives with you, then seek out your own understanding through experience!

Oftentimes you will find a crystal attached to a chain as the materials used for creating one; however, a pendulum can come in any shape or material. 

Some common materials for the weighted base include (but are not limited to):

• Crystal (of your choice)

• Wood 

• Metal

• Unconventional 

  • Buttons, acorns, coins, etc.

Some common shapes of these materials may be:

• Sphere

• Pointed

  • Rounded sides

  • Varying amount of faces

• Merkabah

• Wand with a sphere on top

• Sephoroton (sphere with bottom point)

• Hexagonal 

• Caged

Using Your Pendulum…

Once you have chosen or made your pendulum (which is yet another exciting experience), you can begin using it! Below I will roughly lay out some steps that may be beneficial when first starting out:

1. Cleansing & Charging

   1. When you first get your pendulum, you may want to cleanse and charge it via smoke, soil, sun/moon light, water, salt, visualization, sound, or other crystals. Make sure you know the material you are working with as with some crystals you do not want to get them wet or leave them in the sunlight for too long. This will ensure that your tool is not carrying any residual energy from wherever it may have been prior to your obtaining it. This will also allow for a better connection and read once you get started!

2. Connecting

   1. One of the best ways to connect with any tool that you gather for your practice is to keep it with you as much as possible. I carried my pendulum around with me in a pocket or bag for about a month (I have heard that 30 days is ideal, but again, your preference). I also would sleep with it under my pillow until I felt comfortable that it had captured/gotten used to my energy (and sometimes still do place one under my pillow whenever I feel it needs a quick reconnect).

3. Programing

   1. To program your pendulum, hold it in front of you, take a few breaths to center yourself and connect, and tell your pendulum to show you your yes. Usually the yes will be a forward/backward swing or a clockwise swing (but can be any way, really). Then allow it to stop by either telling it to or stopping it yourself. After you figure out what your yes is, tell it to show you your no. This is usually side to side or counterclockwise.

   2. Don’t be discouraged or frustrated if this does not work right away. It may take some time! I remember the first time I used a pendulum (at the mini class), it took quite a while to receive a yes and days to get a definite no, but I practiced with it everyday until I was confident in the response.

   3. A short note I wanted to add was that some people like to have multiple pendulums to designate to specific purposes. I started out with one to begin my journey and now have three!

4. Practice

   1. There are quite a few fun exercises that you can do to practice familiarizing yourself with the pendulum, and it with your energy. Through practices, you will begin to trust your intuition more. That being said, try not to over-analyze everything so quickly! Don’t judge yourself or the answers you may receive so harshly. It is from my personal belief and experience that pendulums respond to our energy. Thoughts and emotions are energy so if you go into an exercise or statement with doubt, or you find yourself mentally answering the questions you wish to ask as you do, then not only are you confusing yourself, but you’re also confusing the pendulum. Try grounding yourself before any practice by meditating or even just taking a few deep breaths. Maybe swing the pendulum in front of your eyes and allow your mind to drift and release until you feel ready to begin.

   2. Here are a few fun ways to get used to working with pendulums… 

      1. Create or use a chart/board/mat

         1. These will usually have indications on them of ‘yes’ and ‘no’. There are also mats that have the alphabet on them so that you may have your pendulum spell out words!

      2. Hide or have someone hide an object in a house and use your pendulum to find where it is or in which room it may be.

      3. Hold the pendulum over the chakras and be attentive to it’s reactions… could it be indicating an imbalance, overactive center, blockage, etc.?

Pendulums are great fun, easy to transport, affordable, and not to mention super cool looking. I hold a deep respect for the insight that we can gather from them; however, knowing all of the possibilities with a pendulum I am still wary not to limit myself! I have found that I gather more from using my pendulum, tarot, rune stones, etc. for different reasons. Sometimes I like to spice things up and use a few of the various tools together. If you haven’t done this, try it sometime and see what comes up for you!

As always, with love, light, gratitude, and many blessings.

Moony