Pendulum Dowsing (Radiesthesia). A Basic Overview for Beginners; How to Make it Work

Amethyst pendulum. Picture courtesy of Wind River Enchantments on eBay

Wondering about pendulum dowsing and how it works? Look no further. Here is a richly informative article on pendulums, and how to go about using one.


Pendulum Dowsing

A handful of years back, I began collecting items which were metaphysical in nature. I read Tarot cards, and felt that over time I would like to expand to attempting other forms of divination. Amongst the items that I had purchased were: a scrying mirror, a scrying sphere, crystals for crystal divination, dice for dice divination, and a few pendulums.

The last comment made seems to suggest that pendulum dowsing is suitable for divination. I would like to clarify that pendulum dowsing is most accurate when used to advise. It’s not ideal for predictions and divination. Read on and this point will be clarified further in.

I remember having tried pendulum dowsing numerous times since then, but at first nothing happened – at all! No matter which pendulum I used, for the longest time it wouldn't budge. Then a while back I had a visit with a psychic. She encouraged me to work with the pendulum. She said my guides told her that I had tried pendulum dowsing. They said that I had been expecting results too fast. This tells me that learning pendulum dowsing must be a vastly different experience for everyone. I had no result after trying a large number of times, yet I see that some people claim to have seen results right off of the bat. But my spirit guides made it clear that in my case I must work at it. So work at it I did.

I found that unlike what some "experts" suggest, pendulum dowsing accuracy is not necessarily instantaneous. In my case, it took numerous focused attempts to get the pendulum to move, many more before I could sustain any degree of accuracy on answering questions with it. Some people say that success is found within obtaining a pendulum that you and your spirit connect with. If that’s so, it is remarkable that all pendulums in my possession seem to yield the same general result. There is, however, one pendulum I have chosen to stick with as my main one now. It’s the one I like best and I want to strengthen the bond I have with it, and wish to imbue it with whatever essence of my spirit that it needs to acquire.

I feel that I need to train it to be accurate for me. The pendulum I am now using is green aventurine and has a Wiccan Goddess charm at the end of its chain. When I got it the pin was offset, and I had to create a wire-wrap contraption top to offset it to swing straight. I feel it was this process that helped me to create a bond with it. It was the first pendulum that I could get to move; this held meaning for me, of course.

Goddess pendulum, my main one

I have done testing on the accuracy of results my pendulum dowsing sessions provide. It has been steadily increasing since the first time I could actually get a response. I am fascinated by the fact that a pendulum can be used to answer my queries, and while training with mine, I choose to take it virtually everywhere. I don’t want to miss out on opportunities to bond with it and to hone its level of accuracy.


Pendulum Basics

If you want to try pendulum dowsing, the first thing you’ll need to do is get a decent one. Get one pendulum and stick with it. Find one with a chain that is long and short enough to swing freely. In my opinion, there has to be between 5 and 8 cm of free chain. If you make your pendulum, make sure that it is one ounce or lighter in weight.


Consecrate Your Pendulum

If you consecrate your tools, you will want to consecrate your pendulum too; I highly recommend that you do so. Use whichever method you would normally use.


Charge Your Pendulum

There are numerous valid ways to charge a pendulum. I recommend standing in daylight and holding the pendulum in both hands. In your mind, hold the intent to fully charge it. Imagine the positive energy of the sun traveling through your crown chakra, through your arms and into the pendulum. When the pendulum is fully charged, say "so mote it be".

At some point you will know that your pendulum needs cleansing and recharging. This should become a routine procedure for you. To cleanse a pendulum you can sit it on a bed of selenite, smudge it, or sit it in the sun. If cleansing in the sun, It’s best to sit it upon grass or another natural substance. Be sure that your pendulum is not going to fade in the sun. Sun bathing your pendulum is also an excellent way to recharge its energies when needed.


First Use of Pendulum

When you first attempt to use a dowsing pendulum, ask it to show you the results for yes, no, and more information needed. Take note of what the responses are and keep them handy. The typical "yes" response is either a circular or back and forth movement. The typical "no" response is either a circular movement opposite in direction to your "yes" response, or a side to side swing. "More information" (asking me to rephrase or elaborate for clarity's sake), for me, is a diagonal to and fro movement. You don’t need to be concerned if your responses are different.

Begin each pendulum session by asking if you can receive accurate answers at that time. If not, obviously delay the session until a suitable time or circumstance arises. Also, at the beginning of each session, ask the pendulum to confirm which response is your yes, as well as any other response you use. It is possible for these responses to change.

You need to be prepared to give the learning process time. Don’t be discouraged by a lack of result. 

Be aware that it will possibly take a while for you to figure out how you should hold your pendulum. There are many tutorials online stating that this or that is how you should hold it. The truth, my spirit guides tell me, is that the important thing is for you to develop a way to hold it, that you can work with. This may or may not be the same technique someone else uses.

Keep tabs on the accuracy of the results you get; but even so, don’t be discouraged by inaccurate answers. Keeping tabs on accuracy keeps you aware of the interactive training going on between you and the energy the pendulum carries.


How to Test a Pendulum for Accuracy

For a fast test, take a piece of paper and along the edge (as shown below), mark degrees of accuracy in percentage format. The lines drawn radiating out from the percentages make the total width narrower (to make it easier to swing your pendulum towards the digits). Hold the pendulum closest to the line stemming from zero. It will swing in the direction of the lines (not across them). Allow it to swing freely. In response to asking how accurate it is, whichever response the pendulum swings towards will be your answer.

Scale used to determine pendulum accuracy:

Keep in mind that pendulums are best used for guidance purposes, not to make predictions. For this reason you are going to sustain a higher degree of accuracy asking questions worded as – "all things considered, is it an optimal choice for me to date Kevin?" rather than this type of wording – "will Kevin marry me?".


An Alternate Way to Answer Yes or No

I have already given a basic overview of how to answer yes or no questions with a pendulum, but there is another way too. Take a marker and a piece of paper, draw a cross on it. Mark up and down as yes, mark side to side as no. Through the cross make diagonal slashes, mark one as no answer, the other as more information needed. Hold your pendulum over this chart and allow the pendulum to swing freely. Below is a diagram.

The same type of chart as shown, can be used to offer multiple responses of any kind. An example would be if you were planning a vacation and had various choices of destination. Each line back and forth could pertain to a different choice of travel spots for your getaway. When you ask your question, the pendulum will show its response by swinging back and forth in the direction of your most desirable choice. How simple is that? This is all you really need to begin, good luck with it...

Related YouTube Video Link – Part 1;   Part 2