Pendulum Divination

By Sally Painter

Did you know that pendulum divination is one of the oldest methods for receiving guidance from the spirit world? People have used the swinging patterns of the pendulum to indicate everything from the gender of an unborn baby to the location of precious gems. Learn how to use this technique.

Cleanse Your Pendulum Before Using

There are several methods you can use for cleansing your pendulum. The most popular one is to submerse the pendulum into a mixture of sea salt and water. Leave it for three days in full sunlight. Remove and rinse with clear water.

Alternative Cleansing Methods

If your pendulum is made of metal, it'll corrode from the salt. Some crystals will react to salt water while others may fade when exposed to long periods of sunlight. Consider alternative cleansing methods from the list below:

Bury the pendulum in dry salt.
Charge you pendulum on a bed of quartz crystal.
Smudge ti with sage or cedar incense smoke.
Leave it in direct sunlight for three days.
Nestle it among cleansed crystals.
Place it underneath pyramid replica.
Put it in a singing bowl and strike the bowl.
Place it in a stream and let the water wash over it.
Leave it underneath full moon all night.

Determine Pendulum's Response Method

The next step is to determine your pendulum's yes and no directions. Not all pendulums respond alike. Let your pendulum decide. Holding the pendulum say, "show me yes" and wait for it to respond by swinging in a particular direction or pattern. Then, say "show me no" and wait again.

One response is a clockwise circle for yes and for no.
Some pendulums don't move in circular motions. Some swing back and forth for a yes and sideways for a no.
Ask a question that has a yes answer to see how the pendulum responds. Try a few more questions to verify.

Objects to Use as Pendulums

You can make a pendulum out of any object. You can have a sentimental connection to the object such as your wedding band or simply a feeling about a certain crystal or gemstone. Many of the objects used as pendulums are commonplace while others are very specific to time periods and cultures.These include:

Wedding rings
Amulets
Crystals or gemstones you are drawn to
Mementos

Materials

Pendulums can be made of all kinds of materials.

Quartz
Gemstones
Metal such as silver, gold, coins, keys, and other objects

Chain Or Cord

Many people use gold or silver chains to suspend their pendulums. Others use a silk cord.

How to Use Your Pendulum

Use your pendulum with great respect.

Don't ask the same question more than once. Accept the first answer and move on.
Don't depend solely on the pendulum's response to make important decisions.
Only use the pendulum with good intentions.
Don't allow others to use your pendulum. Their energy will interfere with yours and give inaccurate responses to your questions.

How to Hold Your Pendulum

There are many ways to hold the pendulum. Try several to determine the most comfortable for you. Ways to hold pendulum:

Use the hand you write with to suspend pendulum.
Thread a chain or cord around your ring finger and drape over your index finger.
Hold the pendulum chain between your thumb and index finger.

How to Work With Your Pendulum

Begin:

Sit at a table and rest your elbow on it.
Hold the pendulum chain or cord using one of the above methods.

Tools for Divination

Along with observing yes or no responses, you can use other tools to use with pendulum divination asking the pendulum to circle over its response.

Maps
Calendars
Alphabets
Numbers

History of Pendulum Divination

There's no recorded beginning of the use of pendulum divination, but most cultures have some form of seeking help from the spiritual realm. One of the most common tools used for the pendulum is a ring on a string or chain.

The pendulum's use as a tool of divination includes:

Diagnosing diseases within a person's body
Locating missing persons using a map and a pendulum
Locating underground gem deposits
Receiving yes or no answers to questions

Famous Case of Pendulum Use

A French priest, Abbé Mermet employed the use of pendulum divination very successfully during the early 1900s. He located water, minerals and missing people using maps. The Vatican hired him to locate several lost treasures. This was especially significant since Pope John XXII banned the use of pendulums during the 1320s, declaring the answers were coming directly from the devil.

Other documented cases of historical use of a pendulum:

British Intelligence used pendulums to predict Hilter's next move.
King Solomon used a pendulum to find water during a visit to Queen of Sheba.
Vietnam War marines used pendulums to ferret out underground tunnels and land mines.

Ancient Civilizations Used Pendulums

Ancient cultures used pendulum divination frequently.

Ancient Egyptians believed the pendulum was magical.
Romans had great faith in the pendulum as a tool to receive divine guidance for problems.
- A favorite choice of pendulum was their wedding rings. One of the most commonly asked questions was the sex of an unborn baby. If the ring moved in a circular motion, the baby was a girl. A straight line either back and forth or sideways indicated a male child.
- Pendulums were used in deciding where to plant next year's crop.
The Chinese used pendulums to determine where evil spirits were hiding to chase them from the home.

Two Schools of Thought

There are two distinct schools of thought about the use of a pendulum and who or what is responding to the questions.

Subconscious Mind or Higher Self

The most common belief is that the pendulum acts as a bridge to your subconscious mind. Others believe that it's an intuitive connection to your higher self that harbors great wisdom and insight.

Divine Guidance

Another popular belief is that the pendulum allows spirit guides to communicate in a yes or no fashion. The pendulum becomes a sacred tool creating a bridge between you and those who wait on the other side to assist your physical journey.