Pendulums for Beginners – Introduction to Pendulums

In this article, we talk about how to use pendulums for beginners. The possibilities of what we can use pendulums for are endless. We can use them for finding missing objects, finding out the gender of an unborn baby, and finding out if you will move house, and if so, when. Also, sourcing mines/minerals and metals, water, oil (dowsing rods are more commonly used in mining) If you will get that job or pay rise or to help you make decisions you feel stuck on and much more. Pendulums and pendulum dowsing are excellent and useful tools to turn to and a lot of fun.

How To Use A Pendulum – Pendulums For Beginners

The great Albert Einstein once quoted:

“I know very well that many scientists consider dowsing as they do astrology, as a type of ancient superstition. According to my conviction, this is, unjustified. The dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors which are unknown to us at this time.”

I believe this statement by Albert Einstein is also true of pendulum dowsing and dowsing rods. There are many beliefs about pendulums and dowsing, and one of the main things needed when working with pendulums is trust and belief.

Beginning of Pendulums

I have always believed in a “Higher Source,” but never really knew what exactly, as I wasn’t religious in any way. This belief and profound interest lead me to a spiritual path and to working with energies and various healing modalities, including Usui Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Crystal healing, and healing with fifth-dimensional beings.

My website is intended to start as an in-depth beginner’s guide to how, why, and what pendulums are and do. Through it, I aim to share my knowledge with like-minded people and provide information about topics I am learning and have already learned on my spiritual journey.

We all have to start somewhere, and we are always learning! It can be daunting when you first start on this spiritual path, and everybody’s journey is unique. I feel it is essential to have a support network when going through this journey, and I hope this page can help people start their journey. (Join us on social media with the links.)

Be open-minded, be prepared for the unexpected, and let go of expectations!

I hope we can help each other along this journey.

How Pendulums Work

So how does pendulum dowsing work, and why does it seem to be so accurate?

There are different theories on this and completely different scientific explanations, but here we will focus purely on the metaphysical interpretation.

No one knows the answer to this; no facts state this is the definite reason why. It seems like magic, but it is impossible to prove any of the theories at present.

Some people believe it to be the spirit that moves the pendulum; others believe it to be electromagnetic forces from the ground that moves it. Another theory is that the subconscious mind initiates hand movements, creating the action from the dowsing instrument. Also, people will say you’re moving it yourself, which fits in with the subconscious theory.

The truth of it is it all boils down to individual beliefs. It’s a very personal thing, but neither is wrong. All of the work we do with pendulums involves trust and belief. I am sort of on the fence about it because of my experiences. I have communicated with loved ones in spirit through pendulum dowsing, you can do this using a spirit board or pendulum boards, but ultimately I’d say that I believe the subconscious mind plays a huge part in how and why it works. We will talk more about this.

Let’s Talk A Little About The Conscious And The Subconscious Mind

We have three parts to our consciousness/the mind. We have conscious, subconscious, and unconscious.

• The conscious mind. – Also referred to as the ego, and is the controlled part of our brain where our thoughts are and all the things we are aware of. The conscious part of the mind takes up around 10% of occupancy within the mind space.
• The subconscious mind. – This part of the mind is where most of the action occurs. It’s the location of our recent memories and creates a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious mind. The subconscious mind constantly communicates with the unconscious, allowing you to tap into it during meditation and visualization techniques. We will go through one shortly!
• The unconscious mind. – This section stores all your past experiences, memories, and traumas. Although this is all your stored away information and memories, it is part of the brain that molds us into who and what we are. The unconscious mind then filters the information through to us within our dreams, imagination, feelings, and sensation, as well as our emotions.

Read more: We have a more in-depth look at the three levels of consciousness here.

How Does That Relate To Pendulum Dowsing?

Here we are going to go through a grounding visualization technique, and at the same time, it will give you an analogy of our consciousness. I figure it’s always the best place to start with any energy work, so…

You are going to imagine a large, healthy tree, let’s say an oak tree with a solid and sturdy trunk:

• See yourself as this tree. Then see the roots coming out of your feet, strong roots spreading out and down into the earth.
• See these roots spreading far and wide and as deep down into the earth as you can imagine.
• Finally, wrap those roots around a giant molten crystal close to the earth’s center.

You are now grounded. It is good practice to do this every morning to keep you stable throughout your day.

The Grounding Analogy

• Your big sturdy tree above the earth’s surface is what represents your conscious mind, which is, as mentioned earlier, around 10% of our consciousness.
• The roots are the most significant proportion representing the subconscious, which is approximately 50-60% capacity of the mind.
• Finally, the molten crystal buried deep down into the earth is what represents the unconscious mind and is around 30-40% capacity of the brain space.

Another way I have seen/heard it explained is like an iceberg, but this only contains two levels of your mind, when I believe there to be three.

When we take our pendulum and ask it a question, let’s use: “Are my car keys in the kitchen?” You can’t remember where you put your keys because your conscious mind has dismissed it, but your subconscious mind will know where you last had them. Let’s say your pendulum indicates a yes response to your question. What has happened here is your subconscious has released a signal that has caused the nerve endings to move/twitch. That, in turn, gives some message down your arm to show you through the pendulum that your keys are in the kitchen. You can then continue asking questions to see if you can locate your missing keys.

Pendulums are quite a lot of fun as well as a very useful tool

Another example that the conscious and subconscious mind picks up on that we are not always aware of is: Say you’re walking through the high street, and you spot a beautiful pendulum in a shop window. You may go to the window and get a closer look; while there, you might notice the odd item catches your attention or the bits surrounding what you have your eye on. Whereas the subconscious mind will have picked up on everything in the window, not just what you remember. That is how sometimes you know the answer to things but have no idea how or why you knew it or where it comes from.

I believe that this theory is probably a more logical and accepted explanation. However, as mentioned earlier, I believe this to be true to how dowsing works, but I also believe in the spiritual approach to it.

It is all in your belief!

How To Choose A Pendulum For Dowsing

There are many varieties of pendulums; here are some examples of some types you can get.

• Wooden pendulums
• Crystal pendulums (many varieties of crystals)
• Metal/Copper pendulums
• Make your own pendulums

We first need to decide what type of pendulum you like and want to work with.

I would advise that for your first time buying/using a pendulum, buying one from a shop would be better. Actually, go to a shop where you can hold the pendulum and see its different varieties. If, for any reason, the shop won’t allow you to handle the pendulums. I would recommend going elsewhere as this is crucial to picking the right one. Have a good play about their different types and see which feels right for you. Hold them one at a time in your non-dominant hand (this is your receiving hand). You may pick up energy from it or get a vibe that either makes you think this is the one for me, or I don’t like how this feels or makes me feel.

Take Time

You should spend some time on pendulums as you want to have that connection. The best place to start is to go to the one that catches your eye the most. Usually, there is a reason we are drawn to something in that way. However, it may still be possible that it is not the one for you. If this is the case, move through the selection until you find the one that feels right.

Before going out to buy one, you may want to look into the costs of them, you can get some very expensive ones in some places, but the same pendulum would be cheaper in another shop. You can get them for less than $20; they will be cheaper online once you buy your first one. It is not unusual to find more rare pendulums over $100.

The most I have paid for one is $35, a beautiful Aqua Aura Quartz pendulum, and they were more than that everywhere I looked; I just had to have it when I saw it. However, a pendulum being expensive doesn’t necessarily mean it will be right for you. It is all about your connection with it and what resonates with you.

Once you have become familiar with your pendulum, other methods exist, like buying them online, as mentioned earlier. You can get some truly beautiful pendulums and crystals online at reasonable prices, but how do we know if they are the right ones for us or if they are even genuinely as described? My favorite way of buying online, especially if I’m unsure, is to dowse for it. I have done this many times.

Another thing you can do is make your own pendulum – I have done this too. There are lots of different items you can use as a pendulum. Some people suggest that you should only use natural material, but I have used a little plastic toy at the end of a bit of string. Again it was the only thing I could get to work with me for a while initially.

Best Pendulums For Beginners

Of course, you can use any pendulum that you like. However, here are some of the most common that people use:

• Crystals and crystal cages.
• A key on a thick piece of string.
• Drilled crystals on a silver chain (buy them already drilled)
• A pendant on either string or chain.
• A wedding ring or other evenly weighted ring on either chain or string.

You can use just about anything as long as it’s weighted and centered. You can even use yourself as a pendulum; see more about this in the how to use your pendulum article.

Cleansing a Pendulum

Now that you have your first pendulum, you will need to cleanse it energetically, and it is advisable to dedicate it too. Then we need to put our own energy into it, which we will do very quickly once we start using it. We’ll go through the steps of cleansing and dedicating in further pages.

Pendulums and crystals have their own vibrational frequency. In turn, they pick up energy from other things, people, and atmospheres. So if you purchase a pendulum from a shop or an item to make a pendulum, those items would have been handled by many different people. From mining to storage, or anything in between, to package handlers, shopkeepers, and customers. If you think of all these different people and moods that people go through in day-to-day life, your pendulum will have been in contact with these energies and absorbed the energy, be it good or bad.

So when you pick your pendulum, if you get a particularly bad feeling from one, it may well be that it has negative energy from the environment it’s been in or the energy from people handling it before you. That doesn’t mean it’s “bad” or “negative,” just that there may have been someone who has handled it who wasn’t in a very good mood or maybe had an argument earlier that day or perhaps they’d had some bad news. It could just be that their vibrational frequency is lower than yours, so this creates a clash in energy.

It is also possible that your pendulum can pick up on electromagnetic interference, for example; Mobile phones, Televisions, and Computers. Or, as mentioned earlier, the environment they are kept in. So it is essential to cleanse and purify our pendulum before we do anything else with it.

How To Cleanse Your Pendulum

There are many different ways to cleanse a pendulum. Here I will list some ways I have learned to do it. Some I use, and some I don’t use so often. You must remember that your thoughts and intentions when doing a cleanse are crucial. Since a pendulum is a tool for us to receive thought energy, and when we ask a question about our pendulum, the transmission from the subconscious must be clear so that the information collected is not misdirected or received incorrectly. If the focus is wrong at the time of cleansing, inaccurate information will come through the pendulum.

Leave the pendulum out in the sunlight or on a window sill; this will absorb and cleanse the sun’s energy. When using this method, be aware that some crystals, such as amethyst, citrine, fluorite, rose quartz, etc., may become sun-faded and lose color.

Run them under cold running water. Check the hardness of the crystal pendulum first, as some are softer than others and could start to dissolve in water. All crystals have a hardness scale; this is called the MOH scale. It would be advisable to use a different method for anything lower than a four, such as selenite and kyanite. You can look through some common minerals here.

Methods for Cleansing

• Sage. – Just the same as sage can clear an auric field; it can also work to cleanse your tools. Simply light the sage and waft the smoke over your tools or hold your pendulum over the smoke as the sage burns.
• Incense. – Incense works in the same way as the sage, but there would be less smoke, this method would work well in a place where there are smoke detectors. It would also be less expensive than sage, but sage is the better method.
• Pyramids. – It is said that the energy inside of a pyramid is entirely pure and has healing power, providing it is at the correct angle. According to ancient Egyptians, anything inside the pyramid stays purified and charged. If you can get hold of one or make one, these are very beneficial to have, especially if you use many pendulums or crystals. You can make one from any material to start with a cardboard one would work perfectly well and be inexpensive. It is an excellent place to keep your pendulum until you are ready to use it again.
• Tibetan singing bowl or ting-shah symbols. – This method is another one I use a lot, sound vibrations to cleanse places and my tools. Simply tap the symbols together or the bowl and direct the sound to the pendulum.

Free Methods of Cleansing

• Bury them in salt overnight. – This salt must be natural sea salt or rock salt. Table salt contains chemicals and may damage your pendulum or crystals.
• Bury it in the garden. – The earth’s energy will cleanse and charge your pendulum. When placed in the yard, it is advisable to use a specific pot so you don’t lose them or dig up half the garden to find it.
• Place your pendulums and crystals out in the moonlight. – A full moon is better! This method is possibly my favorite and most used method of cleansing and charging. I figure if the moon’s energy can move tides, then it can definitely shift any negative energy from a pendulum. Place them outside with the intention to cleanse and charge and leave them overnight or for as long as possible.
• Cleansing sprays. – You can buy ready-made sprays that can cleanse areas, rooms, the auric field, and crystals. All that you have to do is literally just spray over the crystals/pendulums and rub them gently. You can make your own cleansing sprays as well out of crystal elixirs.

Visualization cleansing

Positive affirmations and Visualization techniques. You can visualize a white light surrounding your pendulum and recite that it is now cleansed of negativity.

You can never cleanse your pendulum too much!

I personally give my pendulum a clean each time I use it. Three little blows and a positive affirmation, such as:

“Please lift away anything that is not of the purest energy, Thank you!”

You can say whatever feels comfortable to you. So long as it is a pure intention.

I would then do a weekly clean with either sound or sage/incense and then a monthly cleanse in the full moon, then keep them in a closed box to keep them from picking up any other energies again.

The only time I would do any differently to this method is if I had carried out a healing session and used pendulums or crystals. In this case, I would do a full cleanse, not just the three blows and affirmation.

You will know when your pendulum needs cleansing; it will show signs like not moving at all when you ask a question or being totally erratic and giving incorrect responses.

For the most accurate responses, keep your pendulum cleansed at all times.

Now that we have cleansed our pendulum, we need to dedicate it.

Dedicating your Pendulum

Dedicating your pendulum is ensuring you have only your own energy on it.

Why Do We Need To Dedicate Our Pendulums?

As you’ll be aware, there is always an opposite polarity for everything: dark/light, open/closed, black/white, good/bad, positive/negative, etc. That being said, there are positive and negative energies around us, so it is possible to occasionally tune in to the wrong type of energy. More often than not, this will not be intentional. However, it is possible. When this happens, it can mean our pendulum responses are not always acting in truth, and you may get incorrect answers.

To avoid this happening, we dedicate the pendulum so we know it is only ever working for the highest good.

There are a few different options to who we dedicate our tools. Mostly this will depend on your belief system and the path you follow. You could dedicate to the Angelic realm or a particular Angel or Archangel. The goddess and/or god (source). The Universe. The light or light beings and more depends on your beliefs. Again none of them would be wrong.

Today we’ll use Light Beings as this is a generic cover for all the highest goods. However, if there is someone specific you wish to dedicate to, you follow the same process and insert their name in place of the light beings.

What are Light Beings?

Light Beings are all part of the planetary collective consciousness. They are mostly from the 5th dimension or higher and are pure energy and communicate telepathically. As with all other beings from the light, such as Angels, Archangels, and Ascended Masters, they can access all the information ever!

The collective consciousness is where all minds are one, and all thought is one thought. This information is stored in the Akashic Records and is available to everyone if you practice your abilities to access it.

Akashic Records

The Akashic records store all the information about every thought that has ever been thought, along with a path for each decision you make or have ever made. It is huge!! That is where we request information when we ask pendulum questions.

We are asking a light being to transmit a thought response to us, and we perceive this as the movement from the pendulum. It is the influence of the thoughts of the light being on your subconscious mind, which creates a neuromuscular effect. That, in turn, moves the pendulum.

Again, the intention is everything here. Only do this when you’re in the right frame of mind. Never do this if you’re in a rotten mood or had crossed words with someone!

How To Dedicate A Pendulum

A few examples of dedicating your pendulum are as follows;

Take a few moments to center yourself and ensure you won’t be disturbed.

• Light a candle: This invites light beings and angels to work with you and shows them your intention to work with the light.
• Smudge yourself and the area if you wish with sage or incense.

Then repeat this statement;

“I dedicate this pendulum to the highest light and only to the highest light. I dedicate this pendulum to the truth and I ask that it always be truthful and accurate. Thank you.”

If someone else has used your pendulum, you can re-dedicate by holding the pendulum firmly and asking that:

“This pendulum work with only you and your energy at this moment.”

Affirmations/Dedication.

You can say something along the lines of:

“Please lift away anything from this pendulum that is not of pure Divine light. Also, only ever work through this pendulum with love, light, and truth – Thank you.”

I would personally repeat a dedication three times because this is how I was taught, but again it’s personal, so whatever feels right for you. And always thank the higher realms for their assistance.

Charging your Pendulum

Once we have cleansed and dedicated our pendulums, it is now time to charge it.

There are a few ways to charge it; we do this by handling it as much as possible. Carry it whenever possible, and put it under your pillow at night.

The aim here is to put your energy into the pendulum. The easiest way to do it is as you’re using it. You’re charging it with your energy, which you want the pendulum to work with.

Other methods for charging are:

• When placed on the moon, it will charge and cleanse it.
• Placing in the earth will charge as well as cleanse your pendulum.
• If you are attuned to Reiki, you can Reiki charge your tools.
• Angelic Reiki will also charge them.
• Using your pendulum regularly is the best way for it to work with you. As you will notice, the more you use it, the quicker and stronger the responses and your connection with it will become.

Remember to keep it cleansed!

Getting To Know Your Pendulum

This stage establishes a bond between yourself and the pendulum. It may take time and effort to develop it entirely, but it’s worth it once you do. You must trust that the answers you get are correct. Firstly you need to know what your answers are indicating. You can do this by either:

• Hold your pendulum firmly in your index finger and the thumb of your dominant hand.
• Ask the pendulum a question you know the answer to. So you could ask, “is my name Humpty Dumpty?” I’m pretty sure you will get your no response asking this. Whichever way the pendulum swings is your response for now.

Now ask your pendulum a question you know is a yes: “Do I own a pendulum?” Or you could ask for your actual name. The pendulum should now swing in a different direction. That is your yes response.

Or another way is to:

• Ask your pendulum, “please show me yes.”
• And “please show me no.”

It would be a good idea to try both of these methods and see if they give you the same answers. You can also ask your pendulum to show you a maybe response, which could be a maybe or I’m not telling you! Sometimes there are things we are not supposed to know, and we need to find the answers on our own at the right time. That is when you may get a maybe response.

Your pendulum may swing up and down, side to side, clockwise, or anti-clockwise. It may even stay still and do nothing. That is fine as long as this is what corresponds with your question each time. Otherwise, it may need cleaning if it is not “normal.”

Pendulum Wobble

Something I found happened to me a lot when I started using pendulums: they would wobble, almost like a shiver, and then do nothing else. I would get really frustrated and say they don’t work for me. I have since learned that this is quite common. The reason is that a surge of energy is going through you into the pendulum, and it’s quite powerful. So when/if this happens, relax, take a few deep breaths, and try again.

You may need to ask your question and then wait a few seconds before you start to see it swing. If you find no movement with it, you can ask: “Please show me more.” You will notice the swinging will get bigger and stronger.

Try this:

Try to hold your pendulum with enough chain for it to swing. You don’t want to block the answers by holding it too far down the chain, but equally, It’s important not to have too much chain as it will move too freely (in my opinion).

I would usually hold mine about 5 to 6 inches up the chain, but this is down to how it feels comfortable to the individual.

You must try to have a clear head before using the pendulum. That is so as not to confuse it, and you can ask the question out loud or in your mind. It’s a personal choice; as long as your questions are clear, it will answer you.

Pendulums For Beginners – Conclusion

Always ask a question that has a yes/no answer. The wording of your question is critical. Questions like, “when will I move house?” Won’t give you the response you require unless you use a board with dates, etc. You would need to ask, “will I move house in the summer?” if your pendulum says yes to this, you will then need to follow on with: This summer? Next summer? And so on.

I have used this exact same method myself to find out when I will move house. I’ve also used it to find out a few friends’ baby genders, and they have been correct. It is quite a lot of fun as well as informative.

Grids or charts can also be used to help you get used to your pendulum and get it working better with your energy. You can get these on Pinterest quickly enough or draw your own. Draw around some different-sized classes and hold your pendulum over the center of the circle. Then ask your pendulum to follow the circle. You can draw horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines and ask the pendulum to follow them. You can play about with this and make your own up to try and see how you get on.

I hope this helps. Blessings to you. Please Share this on your social media if you like it. 🙂

J2A 🙂

Related Posts:

• Pendulum Dowsing History Timeline
• Pendulum Healing for Spirituality