At the deep-end-ulum
This is about me digging up my forgotten pendulums from where I last stashed them, years ago, and presenting them to Spirit Self for an update on the whole pendulum shebang.
Simple as that.
One day, I was wondering: Is there anything new to say about this practice of consulting pendulums?
Something beyond all those repetitive tutorials on YouTube?
You know the ones: Cleanse your pendulum in moonlight. (Okay.) Ask it to demonstrate its Yes and No directions. (Makes total sense.) Start off by testing it with a trick question. (Okey-doke.) You know you’re only talking to your subconscious mind, right? (Are you sure about that?) Look, my hand’s not shaking at all. (But it is.) The pendulum’s moving on its own! (Well, maybe.)
BTW, my favorite YouTube pendulum moment: a video host tells us, with confidence, that when she works with her pendulum, she steadies her elbow on a table to keep it from shaking. Meanwhile, I’m eyeing her elbow, and it’s cocked up in the air.
Okay, girl. Whatever.
Anyway, my first few experiments with my rediscovered pendulums were…cute.
There’s one gleaming fella, sterling silver and impressively sci-fi, with a point so sharp it should hold lead and double as a mechanical pencil. Handsome as hell but, for some reason, it now has taken to stabbing me with that point. That never used to happen.
After several of these unprovoked attacks, I said, No, sir! I will not be treated that way. You are not my pendulum.
Back in the bag with you!
Next, I tried a charming beaded one I’d purchased long ago from a craftswoman who sold them online. It radiates warmth.
The beads remind me—slightly, just enough—of Catholic rosaries I loved in my youth. The top bead, twirled between my thumb and index finger, is perfectly, pleasingly smooth. An adorable amber crescent moon and tiny star serve as its pendant.
Promising, right?
Heh.
Fond as I was of this pendulum, it developed a taste for playing hide-and-seek. After a couple of times having to track it down, I said, Nope, unreliable beauty, you are not my pendulum either.
So, hold up. Before any of you say a word—You neglected these guys for years, Eva. They’re getting back at you!—yes, yes, I’ve already thought of that. And we won’t speak about the handmade (these hands) pendant (below, left) still waiting for me to add a chain. I know, I know. Look at that dove! That dove deserves a nice gold chain!
But that dove’s gonna have to wait, because my pendulum (above, right) turned up when least expected—a fish-shaped evil eye talisman a friend gifted me a while back.
I wasn’t even trying to find an alternative when I spotted this glass pendant in a jewelry box. I went in there looking for an unclaimed chain for the dove. Well, the fish also needed a chain and pretty much told me so!
Apologizing, I attached a humble yet sturdy steel ball chain I found in that same box. The protective pendant seemed to take to it. This was the only pendulum that went on to answer me with wide, unambiguous swings—and I mean right away.
One of the first things it told me was to ignore all those other pendulums!
So, now to the rest of what I’m learning from Spirit Self about pendulums:
BONDING: It’s great to clean them, one way or another. It can be as simple as running clearing energy through before and after a session. But what’s even more important is energetic bonding through physical touch. I sometimes wear the fish pendulum snuggled close to my heart chakra. With the chain cinched in back, it rests close to my throat chakra, the center for communication and channeling. I also like to warm it in my hand.
DIRECTIONS: In my experience, “Yes” is a distinct clockwise circle, and “No” is counterclockwise. A side-to-side swing is ambiguity or the unknown. A back-and-forth swing feels like a rather cheeky “Girl, don’t ask” or, with intensity, a more serious “Girl! Don’t ask!!!” Not moving or coming to a rest and just hanging there might be a way to say, “Not feelin’ it today.”
QUESTIONS: Think about your questions carefully and write them down. Specificity helps. Have some follow-ups handy to dig further for details and clarity. Remember, the usefulness of your pendulum’s output depends on your smart input. Having said that, I did once pick up something useful on a YouTube video about not relying on Yes/No Q&As, just straight-up talking to your pendulum and paying attention to the various directions and inflections of energy as it reacts to your words. This makes a lot of sense to me and tracks with other ways I engage with the etheric more-than-human.
DOWSING CHARTS: As for pendulum charts, according to Spirit Self, they’re training wheels. No shade on training wheels. We’ve all needed helpful training aids at times as we’ve made our way. Our greatest myths and holy books and rituals devised by humankind are training wheels. Divination cards, no matter how beautiful and compelling, are training wheels, too. We can continue to use them at will or move beyond them as desired when the time comes. Now, if you’d like to try using a chart, you’ll find a lot of cool ones, for nearly any purpose and to reach nearly any source, at the amazing Subtil site. Download one or more to print out. You can even edit one of Subtil’s many templates to fit your needs. Or get inspired and draw a completely new chart of your own design.
WHO’S THERE: “It’s your subconscious. Period.” Subconscious. Inner Child. Inner Critic, even. Sure, if you’ve decided that’s who you want to answer your questions, it’s all good. More’s possible, though. As with any other divinatory tool, you have to ask for what/who you’re seeking. Don’t start the conversation assuming you can’t connect to the ancestor, orisha, or angel of your choice. Ask directly. You wouldn’t send unaddressed emails or texts out to a teeming multiverse hoping they’ll land somewhere useful, would you? Assert yourself and slap that address in the TO: field. Then watch for a ping coming back.
WHAT’S SHAKING: Is it you? Is it the pendulum and whatever/whoever’s speaking through it? Maybe you could hold your breath, but what about your pulse, your nearly imperceptible, uncontrolled twitches? Sure, anchor that elbow on a desk or table, if you like, but it doesn’t matter. Your body with its nervous system and flow of breath and blood are one with Spirit. Spirit Self sees no distinction between the physical and the etheric. Your conscious intellect constructs those boxes. Your body, though, not only keeps the witchy score, it’s always telling what it knows.
Look! I found another pendulum in a bowl on a bookshelf. I think my evil eye fish will have to get along and share space with this polished clear quartz. It’s already proving to be quite active.
Have you enjoyed pendulums? How do you use them? For chakra diagnostics? Gathering finer details from Tarot cards? Maybe hovering one over a birth chart?
Comment below and share your ideas and experiences. And, if you have pendulums, please do post pics of your faves!
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Great timing! Just yesterday, I had a conversation about using a pendulum with a substack friend. I've been using one for around 10 years. My use is specifically for digging deeper into higher-level experiences that I'm using with energy work. I do not ask about the future or other people. It's been of great help to me. That said, now, I often know the answer before I use the pendulum. In that respect, it's a confirmation. I need to mention that "no" is different for me than what you described. For no, the pendulum is perfectly still. For yes, there is clock-wise rotation. Then, if the yes is especially strong, besides the rotation being extremely fast, there is a full-body energetic sensation. That's definitely a confirmation!
Encouraged by a friend of mine, who uses her pendulum for EVERYTHING - I mean she takes it with her to the grocery store! - I've been using one of ours (actually, our two most reliable ones are both Barbaria's) to check the viability of food in the fridge!
It started with a broken egg in the carton. Hmm, have these eggs gone bad? Well yes, the pendulum said, "absolutely don't eat these 3, this 4th one's okay if you eat it right now, and the rest of these are fine, but don't leave them too long."
We also use the pendulum to identify remedies and supplements that would be helpful, and the dosages, etc. These are all things the body knows, below the subconscious, I'd say. As for "higher consciousness" questions, it helps me identify or confirm what I already want to do or understand. Or what I know in my heart of hearts.