Reveal Your Own Divine Wisdom with a Pendulum

While the term “dowsing” might bring to mind an image of an elderly gentleman pointing a forked twig at the ground in search of precious water, dowsing actually has a more expansive meaning.

Dowsing is any technique—going all the way back to ancient Egypt—in which a non-scientific tool is used to locate underground water, metals, minerals, oil or even ancient tombs and artifacts.

While it seems like a mystical phenomenon when it works, scientists believe the process is connected to the “ideomotor response” in humans. Your ideomotor response (IMR) is when a thought or mental image in the brain causes the body to move, independent of conscious desires. Even the classic Ouija Board, the spookiest activity at many a slumber party, is believed to work because of the ideomotor response, also called the ideomotor reflex.

In the field of energy healing, plumbing your own inner depths with a pendulum is known as “spiritual dowsing.” While this time-honored practice isn’t used to locate physical objects, such as water or metal, it instead taps into spiritual energy fields, using IMR to discover personal treasures such as divine guidance, enhanced intuition and clarity of mind.

A pendulum used for spiritual dowsing is often made of a symmetrical crystal hanging from a chain or cord, and each crystal offers its own unique benefits. Here’s a bit more about how to use a pendulum, and how to choose the right crystal for the guidance you seek.

How to Use a Pendulum

Before your dowsing session:

• Your new pendulum should first be cleansed. Set it in direct sunlight on the windowsill for a day or so, allowing it to absorb the warm, healing rays of the sun, soak it in sea salt or run it under cold water.
• Next, impart your own energies onto the crystal. Sit and relax, holding the pendulum in your cupped hands and closing your fingers around it. Close your eyes and focus your energy onto the pendulum for 5–15 minutes.
• Decide what your pendulum’s directional swings will mean to you during your dowsing session. Pendulums can swing in horizontal lines, vertical lines, or circular movements. For instance, you might decide that a vertical swing means “yes,” a horizontal swing means “no” and a circular movement signifies “maybe” or “neutral.” If you sit with your pendulum and assign a response to each type of swing ahead of time, you’ll have more clarity about the results of your session.

During your dowsing session:

• Open your mind. If you’re skeptical about whether spiritual dowsing works, it probably won’t.
• Sit comfortably, making sure the pendulum has room to swing below your hand. Breathe and relax.
• Hold the small gemstone handle at the top of the pendulum between your thumb and forefinger. If it seems to hang down too far, grasp it further down the chain instead. Run your other hand down the chain, upturn your palm and allow the bottom tip of the crystal to touch your palm. The pendulum should now be still.
• Move your hand away from the bottom of the pendulum. (It might move slightly, and that’s normal.)
• Start with a simple question to see how your pendulum reacts. You might ask “Is today Thursday?” or you may just say “Please show me what a ‘no’ response looks like.”
• If you’re satisfied with the response, you can delve further into your spiritual practice, asking questions about your health, your love life, your career or your spiritual healing. The pendulum responds best to yes-no-maybe questions.
• If you’re not having success, you may not be relaxed enough, you may be tired or you may be feeling skeptical about the process. Simply end your session and try another time.
• If someone else handles your pendulum, or if you continue to have nonproductive dowsing sessions, try repeating the cleansing and energy-charging steps above.
• If you’re still not having successful sessions, try a different pendulum crystal.

Pendulum Crystals

Amethyst, the stone of spirituality and contentment, has strong healing and cleansing capabilities. It carries a calming energy to help you feel relaxed and peaceful. Amethyst is known to help open the crown chakra and stimulate the third eye, connecting you with your higher consciousness. The amethyst pendulum can be used to help make difficult decisions and to create powerful plans for reaching your goals.

Rose quartz is connected to the heart chakra and taps into your feminine and goddess energies. It offers peace and calm, helping to dissolve anger and resentment. The rose quartz pendulum can be used to manifest unconditional love, to stimulate compassion and kindness, or to attract a soul mate.

Clear quartz may seem like a simple stone, but it’s known as a master healer stone, believed to amplify our energy, intentions and thoughts. It works with all chakras, all planets, all elements and all astrological signs, carrying the full spectrum of light within and offering true clarity about every aspect of your life. The clear quartz pendulum can be used to offer protection, aid in spiritual growth, determine a source of spiritual upset and focus your energies on your own special gifts.

New to crystals? Read our Beginner’s Guide to Crystals and Gemstones to learn more.