Article © 2013 by Joyce Mason
All Rights Reserved
Choosing and Using Your Pendulum
I was first exposed to a pendulum when I started taking flower
essences. My original flower essence consultant would dangle her
little crystal on a chain over various essence bottles while holding my hand,
seeing how the pendulum reacted to various potential cures for what ailed me
emotionally. The verb for this is actually called dowsing or to dowse with a
pendulum.
Hearing that word just fueled my sense of being at an old
medicine show. I put dowsing for flower essences in the same category as people
using divining rods to find underground water or gold veins. It was borderline
hokey to me. The flower essences themselves already seemed to be enough of a
stretch. Taking a few drops of liquid infused with flowers under your tongue?
To cure grief, procrastination or lack of vitality as a few examples? I was
still getting over the sense of snake oil on the product, much less the
selection method.
I thought I’d get a whole new set of ailments over my
initial fear of this “sideshow.” To my credit, I managed not to roll my eyes.
This was in the 1980s before the Harmonic Convergence.
In this article, I hope to take you with me on a
retrospective of how I went from weird to wonderful in my reaction to the
pendulum—and what I learned along the way. What I once thought was very woo-woo
is now such a part of my life; I can’t imagine life without Penny. I know Penny
Dulum is probably not the most original name for a pendulum, but at least it’s
in keeping with my corny and punful sense of humor. She doesn’t seem to mind.
A Matter of Trust
It took me awhile to understand that penduling, if there is
such a word, is one of the most Plutonian things a person can ever do. It
involves complete surrender to the universe flowing through you and your pendulum,
to All That Is—and back again. It was no small task to build my faith in
Penny’s potential (and the other Pennies that came before her).
Another way using a pendulum is Plutonian: The pendulum and
its person develop an extremely intimate relationship. That build-up of trust
is so much like 8th House intimacy and its relationship to Pluto.
This may not be sex, but it is the realm of life’s deepest mysteries and their
energetics. It taps a power, that other core Plutonian essence, no flower
remedy pun intended. Just as if your pendulum were a person, you need time to
get to know him or her. The whole process of using a pendulum works best if you
can court that intimacy from Day 1 by parking disbelief at the door and getting
into observer mode on how this seemingly unscientific process works. Your faith
in your “Penny” will build as you watch what she does and record her track
record for accuracy.
But first things first. If you’re going to choose a pendulum—anyone
or anything for that matter—for an intimate relationship, it’s important to
choose good material.
I'm not suggesting that dowsing with a pendulum is only Plutonian. I'm posting this when Chiron and the Moon are in an exact conjunction. If you've read my article Chiron:Your Higher Moon, you'll know the pendulum is influenced deeply by both, throw in Neptune and Uranus. Pendulums are PUNCs! (Plutonian, Uranian, Neptunian Chironics)
Choosing Your
Pendulum
I recommend a hands-on process for choosing a pendulum. I
would never buy one on the Internet, because it’s not very easy to test for
resonance except “in person.” Plan to visit your nearest metaphysical store or
whatever place in your neighborhood sells this type of spiritual paraphernalia.
Try these tips for finding your own “Penny:”
1. Geographic attraction. If you really
resonate to Sedona, AZ, Delphi in Greece or Mt. Shasta in California; consider
buying your pendulum on your next trip to one of those places. Your pendulum
will then carry the resonance of a place that already is powerful for you. I
bought my current Penny in a bookstore on State Street in Madison—home of my
alma mater, the University of Wisconsin. This place is associated with growth
and growing up for me. College was the first time I left home, and there is a
memory link to one of the most transitional times in my life. When I am using
my pendulum, I am merging with it to be a transitional force for myself or
others. It really felt like a perfect choice of place for my pendulum to “be
from.” If I ever sense it’s time for me to retire Penny from service—or if I
get the sense she’s ready for whatever kind of Social Security is rightfully
bestowed on hard-working metaphysical tools, I’d seek another power place for
purchasing my next pendulum.
2.
Visual
attraction. Are you attracted to its looks? If you’re a Venussy guy or gal,
this is an important consideration. However, it’s not a deal breaker. I was
attracted to Penny because she’s kind of small and compact like me, but she’s
not that glamorous (and I have a Venus-ruled chart with three planets in
Libra). Still, visual attraction is one of the major ways we connect, and that
goes for pendulums as well as people.
3.
Stone or
metal resonance. If there’s a certain kind of stone that’s powerful for
you, it’s a good candidate for your pendulum. I have had a couple of past life
regressions where I discovered that lapis was my power stone in Atlantis. While
I’ve yet to find a lapis pendulum that feels like “mine,” this is a stone I’d
bear in mind when looking at these kinds of tools. Rose quartz is good for
Venus types; red stones for those with a Mars emphasis. Your attraction doesn’t
have to be astrological, though people with a lot of Moon emphasis might like
silver, Moonstone or pearl. No one can go wrong with clear crystal. Penny is
copper. I never considered till this moment, writing this article, why I was
attracted to a copper pendulum. After looking up the metaphysical properties of
copper, it’s clear I was onto something. Copper is a good conductor of
energy, and it also is linked to Venus.
4.
Energy
resonance. Get out of your head and just hold your would-be pendulum. What
does it feel like? Is it buzzy, sweet, pulsing, and life-affirming? If you
don't feel a thing or get a sense of drained energy or darkness, drop it like a
hot potato. It’s not for you. This is the most subjective, yet important
penultimate step in finding your pendulum. (No pun intended.) Try several to
know which energy feels the best to you.
5.
Ask if
it’s yours. After reviewing the procedure in How to Use Your Pendulum below,
ask your candidate, “Do you want to be my pendulum?” He, she or it will say yes
or no by its own signal for those answers. (I just asked Penny if she’d like to
remain being my pendulum. She gave an enthusiastic yes. She also said she likes
my writing an article about her—a lot.)
Do not skip this step. It is the most important one. Your relationship with
your pendulum needs to be mutual and consenting. This may also help clarify any
“fency” feelings in #4. If you’re just not quite sure, the pendulum itself will
close the deal by answering yes or no.
6.
Take it
home and get to know it. I recommend working with your pendulum on personal
questions for several weeks to establish and solidify your relationship. The
questions can be mundane, like should I
wear this shirt today, building to more complex. (Is this a good day to talk to my husband about that hairy financial
issue?) I suggest not using a pendulum on anyone else until you have used
it only on yourself for 2-4 weeks. This allows your pendulum to infuse with
your own energy in the work you’ll do together in the months and years ahead.
Your energy will be distinct, and your pendulum will know your co-creative
power with it—again, creating that bond of intimacy.
7. Name and dedicate it. Naming
is a potent process that strengthens connection. Dedicating your pendulum to
only the highest use and good is a wonderful final step of initiation, before
“taking it out into the world” to work with others. You don’t have to call it a
person’s name, as I do mine. You can call it Strength, Sage, Magic—whatever
works for you. You can give it No Name, if that feels right to you. Pray,
ritualize … whatever brings your “sacred union” to a culmination in honor of
the new turning point as you turn outward, together, to help others.
How to Use Your
Pendulum
- Experiment with how to hold it. Most pendulums have a bead, stone or some
other accoutrement at the non-pendulum end. I used to hold mine by the bead
between thumb and forefinger. I ultimately found this didn’t feel right. I now
hold the bead so it rests beside my 3rd finger of my loosely clasped
hand, while holding the chain approximately in the center with my thumb and
forefinger. (See illustration.) When the
bead is a stone, it often is part of making the energy connection between you
and the tip of the pendulum. I find it is stronger held on the back of the 3rd
finger, probably because it creates an energy circuit from mid-hand, up my
inner arm. Arms are connected to the heart chakra and our blood and energy
circulation. This is definitely the chakra I want activated when serving
others. This is what’s right for me. Discover your own best position.
- Ask your pendulum to tell you what means
yes, no and “can’t tell now.” For my pendulum, she means Yes when she moves in a clockwise
circle. She really means yes when the
circles get big and high velocity. (Once in a while, she almost goes into
orbit.) No is horizontal motion in a
North/South direction, assuming you were standing at the center of a compass. Can’t Tell Now is horizontal motion in
an East/West direction. I didn’t understand, at first, what this movement meant.
It felt to me like indecision.
Some things aren’t for us to know yet, or it’s not wise for us to ask now. I
accept this. Penny rarely gives me this motion, but when she does, I know there’s
a good reason. The situation might not yet be “cooked.” It might still be so
much in process; the direction an energy or outcome is leaning isn’t knowable yet.
(Another example: When I get this motion in flower essence selection, I take it
to mean it’s an essence that might be good at some point, but not now.) Sometimes
we’re pushing the envelope, and it’s part of a healthy process for us to go
with the flow and to quit grasping for answers. Respect this outcome and don’t
nag like a 50-questions child. Move on and come back later. The time and
situation may have matured, and it might be ripe for the question then.
- Experiment with more complex communications.
A dear friend gave me this fascinating cloth for dowsing with a pendulum that
has astrological signs, numbers, and a variety of yes/no type answers. (See
picture.) It’s almost reminds me of a Ouija board. I’ve found it fascinating
and like the chance to ask astrological questions with it. (Which house is the most accurate expression
of my Sun? Depending on house system, it’s either in the 5th or
6th.)
 |
| Dowsing Cloth - approximately 12" square |
This gives me an opportunity to state that while my dowsing cloth reminds me of
a Ouija board, I have had negative experiences with that particular tool and do
not recommend it. I think it has absorbed the “parlor game” mentality, and I do
admit I used it when I still had some of that left in me before my first Saturn
Return. (If anyone else has ever found the upside of Ouija, I’d be happy to
hear your Comments and share them here.) In fairness to Ouija, here’s a neutral
article on Ouija
Board Etiquette that cites the cautions and other do’s and don’ts … which
flows naturally into the next topic …
Good Intentions
Like any spiritual tool, if you use your pendulum primarily
for parlor tricks, it’ll backfire. Trust me; you don’t want to go there. No bad
juju or negative intentions. That sets up dark energy that can come back to
bite you.
Sure, you’re going to ask your pendulum some fairly
ridiculous questions at times. We’re all human, and in this almost human
relationship you’ll develop with your pendulum, you get to play a little.
But remember, in the main, this is about spiritual
guidance—yours and others’. Do no harm, as in the Hippocratic Oath, and don’t
do anything hypocritical, either. If you’re reading this article, you probably
don’t need this reminder … but in case you encounter someone curious about how
this is going to help them win the Lotto or some other use based on greed or
grudge, don’t pollute the energetics of your pendulum by working with those
kinds of issues or people who carry those vibrations or intentions.
Continuing to Build
Trust
As a self-doubting Virgo, I credit my friend Janet who for
confirming the strength of my relationship with my pendulum. I met Janet in the
late ‘80s. She was a client who became a dear friend. She has experienced the
wisdom of my pendulum as a flower essence client for decades.
When I was going through a period of needing to separate a
lot of potential remedies for a medical condition, she suggested I use my
pendulum because I have such a “clear channel” with it. I admit my confidence
in Penny has been much stronger when it comes to helping others than helping
myself.
Let’s face it. A pendulum just makes visible what you
already know “deep down.” It’s a
reflection of you and the universe conversing about Truth. I am so grateful to
my friend for helping me go from thinking my objectivity would be compromised
in using Penny for my own, more serious issues, to realizing I was acting like
a shoemaker with no shoes. I have been consulting Penny for my own flower
essences for a long time now. I often have felt, at first, that her choices
were a little strange, but when the whole combo comes together, her vision is
clearly inspired.
A Parting Gift from
Penny
You can start your experiments with a needle on a string as
a makeshift, pendulum; then work yourself up to buying a pendulum, if you find
you resonate to this tool.
Penny has an astrological present for you! If you can’t find
out a birth time or aren’t especially skilled in chart rectification, you can dowse
with a pendulum to get an exact time. Zero in first on the big picture first: Is it AM? PM? Between 12:00 and 3:00? Once you’ve got the time quarter, keep asking
till you get down to the hour. Then ask, “Between 10:01 and 10:15?” and so on
around the clock till you get it down to the minute. You’d be surprised how
well this works. To be fair to last month’s symbol system, I’ve also asked for
help in dreams for the birth times of my parents—and got them. Imagine when I
got 3:12 AM for my dad and his sister told me she remembered his being born
around 3:00 in the morning.
Most of all have fun with it and don’t take yourself or your
pendulum too seriously. I’m sure pendulums have senses of humor, too. They will
surely reflect your own in your marriage of channeling wisdom.
A friend was opening a metaphysical store many years ago. We
were looking for key dates for a lot of initial events and couldn’t do the exhaustive
electional astrology research in the time we had to come up with a schedule. What
quick electional work we could do produced disappointing results, so we had to
go with a guidance system that would make the best of the dates available. I
was sitting at my house with a calendar and my pendulum. He was with his calendar
at the store, listening to me “pendle,” reporting my results aloud to him over
the phone.
I remarked how ridiculous I felt, dowsing for dates, sitting
in the middle of my office floor by myself, talking to a friend who felt
discarnate on the other end of the phone.
“This is what we do, Joyce,” he said, laughing for
punctuation.
I know now why I never forgot that moment and conversation.
It was the turning point about my pendulum, the exact place in time where I let
go of weird and let in wonderful.
~~~
Photo Credits: Photo of Joyce by Roni Java Photography; Esoteric Pendulum © Donatella Tandelli - Fotolia.com
