How to Use a Pendulum

Everything you need to know to properly use a pendulum for divination

I’ve been using a pendulum every day for years.

But I wasn’t drawn to work with the pendulum initially. In fact, I actively mistrusted the whole practice. It seemed too vulnerable to wishful thinking. How could I be sure I was getting real answers and not just making the pendulum move how I wanted it to move?

But when I learned a practice called Akashic Clearing, much to my chagrin, I was required to learn to use a pendulum.

And I haven’t put it down since.

While the answers you receive from a pendulum can be influenced by your emotions, once you get the hang of it, you can tell the difference between consciously swinging the pendulum according to your will and being open to the inherent kinetic energy that moves through your body in order to influence the movement of the pendulum. It’s sort of like the difference between kicking a football and the kick reflex that happens when a doctor taps your knee.

Getting extremely comfortable with your pendulum does take time. Still, you can start working with it successfully right away.

Read on for everything you need to know to work with a pendulum properly.

Where the Pendulum’s Answers Come From

Here’s something I didn’t understand when I first got started with a pendulum: the pendulum’s answers come from you.

A pendulum is a tool that helps us get in touch with our own intuition. And your intuition is a combination of the information you receive through all five of your senses, all the knowledge and experience you’ve accumulated over your lifetime, and the unique way divine energy and wisdom flows through you.

When you work with a pendulum, you are essentially making your intuition visible. You’re giving it the ability to nod yes or no.

What Type of Pendulum to Use

Now, what type of pendulum should you use? Quartz? Lapiz? Labradorite? Tiger eye? Metal? Wood? What?

After using a pendulum pretty much every single day for years, my personal opinion is that it doesn’t matter.

While you, personally, may find a beautiful pendulum to be more powerful than a washer tied to a string, I will use anything lying around. With similar results. I’ve had crystal pendulums and metal pendulums. I’ve used necklaces as pendulums. In a pinch, I’ve used my car keys as a pendulum. I’ve even used my earbuds as a pendulum.

I will say, though, that when I first got started, I found that a metal pendulum with a substantial weight was easier to use than something less conductive and on the lighter side. You may be the same way, or you may be different. Once you get started, over time you’ll find what works best for you.

Getting Started with Using a Pendulum

Speaking of getting started with using a pendulum, let’s do that now.

Hold your pendulum (or necklace, or washer tied to a string) in your dominant (writing) hand, as shown in the image above or the image at the top of this post. Relax your arm and fingers. Ground your energy and center your mind by taking some deep breaths and feeling your weight on the earth.

Now, inwardly or aloud, say, “Show me yes.”

At first, the movement of the pendulum may take a moment to begin and when it does it may be very faint, which is totally fine. If it doesn’t move at all, just take a deep breath and relax your elbow and wrist a little more. You may be holding it too rigidly.

Common movements for “yes” include forwards and backwards or a clockwise circle, but don’t be limited by these conventions. See how yes shows up for you personally.

Once you’ve discovered your “yes” answer, say (silently or aloud), “Show me no.”

Most likely, if your “yes” was forward and backward, your “no” will be side to side (much like nodding yes or no). And if your “yes” was a clockwise circle, your “no” will likely be a counterclockwise circle.

See? You’ve already begun! You’re divining with your pendulum.

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What to Use a Pendulum for

As you continue to work with your pendulum, you will find your own go-to uses for it. But to give you an idea, here are some of the times I find my pendulum comes in handy.

When I’m doing a tarot or oracle card reading, I will often use my pendulum to tune into the nuances of the information I’m receiving.

When I’m taking supplements in the morning and evening, I use my pendulum to determine which vitamins, minerals, herbs, or essences my body wants and which ones my body doesn’t (with the exception of probiotics at night and a multivitamin in the morning, the other details usually change from day to day). I do this by touching the supplement bottle, imagining taking the supplement, and seeing if I get a yes or a no.

When I’m deciding what to eat – if I’m not already absolutely sure what type of food I’m in the mood for – I will use my pendulum to help me discover what will best nourish my body. I don’t recommend doing this obsessively, though. If you insist on getting the OK from your pendulum before any morsel of food passes your lips, you’re veering into eating disorder territory. (There is such a thing as using your pendulum too much.)

When I’m book shopping (or crystal shopping, clothes shopping, essential oil shopping, etc.), I will use my pendulum to help discover what I am most intuitively drawn to.

If I’m not sure how I feel about something, I will use my pendulum to help me get clear on my emotions, preferences, and desires.

What Not to Use a Pendulum for

Remember: your pendulum is not an independent entity, or something that receives messages from beyond. It is a tool for measuring your own intuition.

It’s also important keep in mind that your pendulum’s answers can be influenced by your fears and emotions.

That’s why there are certain times when it’s best to put the pendulum down. Here are some of those times.

When you’re afraid of a certain answer, your pendulum is likely to answer incorrectly. So don’t ask your pendulum (for example) whether your partner is cheating on you or if there’s an allergen in the food you just ate. As tempting as it may seem to turn to the pendulum for answers at such times, your emotions are likely to render those answers inaccurate. So your best bet is to put the pendulum down and deal with the issue in a different way.

When you’re making a big life choice, such as where to move, whether you should accept a certain job, or whether you should leave your spouse, you should not look to your pendulum to make that decision for you. In part, this is because your emotions are likely to override your intuition and influence the direction your pendulum swings. But it’s also because there are a lot of factors that contribute to such a decision, and if you’re at a point where you want to consult your pendulum, it probably means you haven’t fully weighed all those factors or your feelings about them.

When it comes to big life choices, what you can do is relax, breathe, center yourself, and then ask yourself smaller questions to tune into the bigger picture. For example, you might ask, “Am I currently feeling good about moving to _____?” “Is there possibly somewhere else I would like to move more?” “Would I thrive in a cooler climate?”

You can also further tune into any answers you receive. For example, if you were to ask if you’re feeling good about moving somewhere and you got a no, you could then ask, “Is that because I’m worried about moving out of my comfort zone?” And if you got a yes to that one, you could ask, “But is it at all possible that I would really love it if I tried it?”

On big questions like that, I would also suggest coming back to the same question on another day before immediately following any answers you receive on the first go round. That’s because your intuition can shift as your emotions shift. And as you gain more information and insight, the answers you receive might change.

The more you work with a pendulum, the more natural it will begin to feel. And if you’re like me, you’ll adopt pendulum work as a lifelong magical practice.

Did this post inspire you to get started with working with a pendulum? Or do you have any questions about it? Speak up in the comments below!

And if you liked this post, you’ll love my pre-recorded How to Master the Pendulum Course.

Here’s where you can learn more and get started on this workshop today.