A pendulum is a tool that is held between your thumb and index finger and consists of any sacred object such as a crystal, a key, or a ring, which is suspended from a piece of cord or string.
I personally prefer crystal pendulums or those that combine crystals with metals. My absolute favorite is a copper pendulum that has a clear Quartz crystal point – the conductive nature of copper and the amplification properties of the Quartz crystal make this pendulum perfect for reading energy.
You may also use a pendulum to receive precise yes or no answers to your proposed questions (although you may sometimes receive neutral answers – in which case the question should be reformulated or asked again at another time).
A Simple Method for Pendulum Dowsing (Step-by-Step):
- Cleanse yourself, your sacred space, and your pendulum. If you need more information, check out this article about how to cleanse your crystals.
- Sit within your sacred space and formulate a “yes” or “no” question about which you require guidance or information. It may be helpful to write this question in your crystal journal so you know exactly what was asked when you go back to reference the reading in step #8.
- Grip the end of the string, opposite the sacred object, between your thumb and index finger of the dominant hand (the hand you write with). If you are ambidextrous, just pick up your pendulum with whatever hand feels most natural to you.
- Ask (aloud or silently) to be shown your “yes” answer and note the manner in which the pendulum swings (i.e. forward and backward, side to side, clockwise, counterclockwise, wildly, slowly, etc.). You should then repeat this step, asking to be shown your “no” answer. You should not move the pendulum intentionally, but let it move according the subtle energy currents of your body.
- Practice divining with your pendulum by asking general questions to which you are not emotionally attached. When you are neutral about the outcome of the divination, you will obtain clearer insights as they will not be influenced by your desires. You may want to start by asking super simple questions to which you know the answer such as, “Is my name [insert your name here]?” or [Do I live in [insert name of your home town here]?”.Once you have had enough practice and are consistently receiving accurate readings, you may begin to ask more personal questions about which you would like to receive guidance and insight.
- When you feel you have received the information you needed, cleanse your pendulum once again. You may wish to store it in a small pouch to keep it protected from outside energy and to ensure it won’t get damaged or chipped.
- Take a moment to write in your crystal journal about the answers you received.
- The day after your dowsing session, return to your journal and attempt to interpret the meanings of the messages that were presented to you. If you’re having trouble interpreting the information, reach for a Lapis Lazuli or Azurite stone. Hold the crystal up to your Third Eye chakra for several minutes to activate your intuition so that you can understand the messages and how they relate back to your question.
Pendulums can also be used for energy healing because they can aid you in detecting the energy field of your client. Simple hold the pendulum over the client’s body to detect his or her energy (i.e. the pendulum may remain still for stagnant energy or swing wildly to show that the energy is concentrated in a particular spot). You can also ask the pendulum to assist you by asking it to show you how the energy is moving in a particular chakra.
For even more great information about pendulums, be sure to check out these other resources
How Well Do You Know Your Pendulum?
Pin It!
Are you interested in exploring more crystal divination practices?
In my Crystals for Intuitive Tarot Course, I’ve shared practical techniques for working with crystal energy to discover the deeper wisdom of the Tarot!
This course includes 15 in-depth lessons, covering topics like…
- An introduction to crystals & the Tarot
- Crystals for setting the stage and creating sacred space for readings
- Crystals to ground & center you as the reader
- Crystals to call in the elements for magical support
- Crystals to awaken your intuition before a reading
- Wearing crystal jewelry as a personal talisman for intuition & communication
- Working with crystals to provide more depth to your card readings
- Incorporating crystals into your readings for others
- Creating your own crystal Tarot set (Tarot & crystal correspondences)
- Working with your crystal tarot set
- Creating crystal essences for embodying the archetypal energies of the Tarot
- Creating a crystal grid for Tarot meditation
- Crystals to keep your cards clear & shielded between readings
- 10 Best crystals for Tarot readings
- A Tarot spread for learning about the energy of a crystal
As crystal healers, it’s important for us to continue to explore new ways to develop and tune into our intuition. Working with crystals and the Tarot can help you gain the clarity and wisdom you need to go even deeper with your readings. This blending of modalities will also help you stand out from other readers and offer something truly special and unique to friends, family, and clients who come to you for guidance. You’ll learn more about all of this when you sign-up for my Crystals for Intuitive Tarot Course!
Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!
8 Responses
Even though I am a beginner with crystals, I found pendulum dowsing to come quite easily to me. My answers have been quite accurate.
However, from time to time, my pendulum will rapidly vibrate up and down when answering my question. What does this mean?
The pendulum is a clear crystal point on a silver chain. It swings forward to back for “yes, side to side for “no”, and will swing wildly in circles if there is no definate answer.
Looking forward to your answer! Thank you.
I’m glad you’ve had successful experiences with dowsing! Everyone’s interaction with dowsing is unique – so it’s hard to answer this question for you. It sounds like a bit of a surge in energy – I would recommend documenting your experiences when this happens to look for a pattern! 🙂 Crystal Blessings
I have found when my pendulum jumps up and down it does not want to answer at that specific time so I ask the question a different way or a question concerning the possible answer….i usually get the answers that way.
That is some great advice! Thanks for sharing Dawn! 🙂 Crystal Blessings
Hi! I just start to learn how to use a pendulum but i think that um doing something wrong because sometimes i got yes/no answer based on my inner knowlegd… Basicly somethimes my pendulum is right and sometimes is wrong…
Hello! I understand – this has happened to me before too! The reason this happens is the pendulum user might be too attached to the outcome, making the pendulum move to the answer they want to hear, rather than allowing the pendulum to guide them. Something I have found to be helpful for this is meditating before using the pendulum. That helps to clear and quiet the mind! 🙂 Wishing you the best with your practice! Crystal Blessings <3
The pendulum has always come easily to me. It’s accuracy is uncanny. I only have one and it is a piece of pure quartz on a silver chain. This morning I tried to do the crystal meditation with clear quartz but when I put the pendulum over the quartz and asked if it would help me to learn about it, the pendulum swung all over the place! So now, the clear quartz is sitting on a piece of selenium in hopes of getting it to calm down. The pendulum is unaffected.
Oh wow! What an experience! I’m glad you’re finding what works for you, it can be quite the process sometimes. <3 Crystal Blessings!