Guest Post From The Smart Witch – Pendulum Dowsing

I’m such a lucky witch! A couple of years ago, I was asked to join the admin team for the Smart Witch Community Facebook group. In short order, Elizabeth (the Smart Witch herself) and Melody (the amazingly talented woman behind the Etsy store featured in the side bar of my blog) became dear friends.

Elizabeth graciously agreed to let me share one of the Smart Witch Facebook posts here on my blog, so naturally I picked the one she wrote after we both received gorgeous pendulums from Melody’s shop. Now without further ado, I’m turning things over to SW – enjoy!

Pendulum Dowsing

The art of pendulum divination and dowsing is easy to learn and master, and can be an enjoyable exercise in magical and intuitive experimentation. This simple tool allows the user to tune into his or her intuitive powers as the pendulum serves to receive and transmit information through its movements in response to questions.

A pendulum is a weighted object that is hung from a single chain, cord or string. A pendulum may be finely crafted and include a crystal or gemstone – never a magnetic substance, though – or it can be something as simple as a key chain, a bead on a necklace or other simple device.

The use of a pendulum allows you to tap into your intuition or sixth sense. It can act in concert with whatever deity, guardian angels, higher guidance or spiritual teachers you look to for direction, assistance, support and answers.

While a pendulum can work to bring together both the rational and intuitive sides of your mind, it best is suited for use in answering “Yes” or “No” questions. The device responds to voluntary and involuntary hand movements, but pendulum devotees affirm that this is not always the case. As with any form of divination, the use of a pendulum requires an open mind, a certain degree of faith and the desire to connect with your own inner wisdom or that of some higher guidance that is aligned with your greatest good.

Before You Start

Before using a pendulum – whether during the learning process or once you’ve mastered the art – cleanse and charge it with your own energy. The light of the Moon or the Sun can effectively cleanse the tool of unwanted energies.

After a night or day of cleansing, hold the pendulum in your hands to charge it with your own energy. Close your hands around the pendulum and sit with your eyes closed as you focus your energy on the device. If it pleases you, say a prayer to or ask a blessing of your deity, guardian angels, higher guidance or spiritual teachers. If you reach to a higher power, consider asking for clarity, wisdom, support and guidance when using the pendulum.

When not in use, and once you have cleansed and charged a pendulum, consider wrapping it in a silk cloth or placing it in a velvet bag. Treat it as you do your other tools of divination, like Tarot cards, and put it in a safe place. I individually wrap each pendulum and deck of Tarot cards in a silk scarf, and put each in a box constructed of a natural plant material (wood or woven).

When you are ready to use a pendulum, you must come to it relaxed and with an open mind. If you come seeking answers with fears, anger, doubts or other negative emotions, or with any preconceived ideas – for example, you’re upset because you believe that your lover is cheating on you with a friend and want confirmation so as to confront them – then that will color the answers you receive.

Holding the Pendulum

Sit comfortably and place your elbow on a table where you won’t be disturbed during practice or when divining or dowsing. Hold the pendulum chain, cord or string between your thumb and forefinger. In pendulum divination or dowsing, I think it’s more important to use whichever hand feels most comfortable for you, rather than holding the tool in either a projective or receptive hand.

If your pendulum has a ring at the top, you can hold that rather than the actual chain, cord or string, if you prefer. If the chain, cord or string feels too long, wrap a length of it around your finger. Allow yourself to feel natural, relaxed and comfortable holding the pendulum with the bob dangling about an inch or so above the table (or over the center of a chart if you are using one, but the use of a chart is a different post). The more relaxed you are, the easier and greater your energy flow will be.

While not strictly necessary, I like to connect with the tool by running my hand (the one not holding the pendulum) down the chain, cord or string, and briefly wrapping my palm and fingers around the bob. I use this movement and moment to still my mind and the pendulum as well. The pendulum usually will start moving as soon as I remove my hand, and this is quite natural.

Getting Started

Watch the pendulum as it moves, and once it comes to a natural halt, you can begin to determine the “Yes” or “No” responses of the tool. Either in your mind or aloud, ask, “Please show me a ‘Yes’ response.” Take the time to observe the movement of the response. Pause, then ask, “Please show me a ‘No’ response.”

Repeat, and observe the movement of the pendulum each time.

Movements can be subtle or quite obvious, and vary from side-to-side, forward-to-back or circular motions. Repeat this exercise repeatedly – and use your own words for the requests, if it pleases you, so long as you use them consistently – as you attune to the responses of your pendulum.

Programming

Once you have taken the time to determine the movements of your pendulum, you can program it. Holding the pendulum as described earlier, mindfully begin swinging the pendulum in its “Yes” direction.

Either in your mind or aloud, state, “ Every swing in this direction shall signify a ‘Yes’ response. This program shall be in effect until I choose to make a change.” Again, you can use your own words for this declaration. Do the same to program the pendulum to indicate a response of “No.”

Validate your programming by asking “Yes” and “No” questions to which you already know the answers: your correct or incorrect name, age and address, the day of the week and so forth. You may need to repeat the above steps until you begin to receive consistently accurate answers.

Programming your pendulum – even if it takes hours or days – reinforces the communication between your conscious and subconscious, and, depending on your beliefs, with any deity, guardian angels, higher guidance or spiritual teachers. Once you have successfully programmed the tool, the programming actions do not need to be repeated.

Posing Questions

A pendulum responds best to specific questions with “Yes” or “No” answers. Just like clearly defining your intention in spell work, in divination, you must not assume that the tool “knows” what you “really” mean or want. Ask your questions with an open and positive mind when you are receptive to whatever answers you may receive.

Don’t undertake a divination when you have negative thoughts or feelings, when you are tired or distracted, when you are hurt or angry, or whenever you cannot focus enough to have clarity in what you are seeking.

Some people like to ask a pendulum for permission to pose queries. I don’t, but go with what feels right to you. Many people also like to make an affirmation such as, “All answers received shall be for the highest good of all.”

When phrasing a question, consider how your thoughts and words relate to another person, other people or the situation. Be mindful, also, as to whether any answer you receive will appropriate for your to learn and truly result – not just the answer, but your subsequent thoughts, words and actions in response to that answer – in the highest good of all concerned.

With practice, a pendulum can be used effectively when held over a chart that offers multiple options or even over a map to locate natural (water) features, people with whom you have lost touch (old classmates), missing animals (lost pets) or human constructed edifices (castle ruins).

Over time, you may look to your pendulum for help in making decisions, such as whether you can trust a certain person or whether a certain life choice (career move, new home or car) will result in the best outcome.

© Elizabeth, The Smart Witch [02 October 2016]

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