You may have been drawn to a beautiful rose quartz crystal on a chain or a triangular amethyst stone that caught your eye as it hung delicately before you.

You pick it up, check it out, and realize it’s not a necklace or a bracelet; it’s a pendulum.

You buy it, maybe grab a how-to book, but now what?

Choose it, cleanse it, program it, and use it!

Following is a short, sweet guide on choosing and using a pendulum to help receive crystal clear answers!

Four things to know before buying a pendulum (if you don’t already have one).

*If you already have a pendulum, trust that it called to you, and it’s meant to be yours.

1. I recommend buying a pendulum in person to see what you are intuitively drawn to, notice if anything stands out, and learn what responds to your energy. If going to a store is not an option, I am also not a rule follower—see what calls to you online.

2. A pendulum with a silver cord is the most energy-conductive and typically gives a quick response. If silver is not available, look for copper. The metal used on a pendulum cord transmits energy and plays a vital role in the pendulum’s performance.

3. If you desire to purchase a pendulum with a crystal, what calls to you trumps everything, even these suggestions. My favorites are my rose quartz, amethyst, and clear quartz pendulums. A couple of things to keep in mind is all quartz amplifies energy, high absorption stones like black tourmaline or lava stone can hold negative energy, and crystals with elaborate designs and shapes can be a bit more challenging to work with.

4. When you have a pendulum picked out, check its responsiveness. Hold the end of the cord firmly, with a steady arm. I like to place my elbow on a table when possible or firmly beside me. Take a deep breath into the tummy, and silently or aloud hold the intention, “yes.” Notice which way the pendulum moves, even if just a little. It will go side to side, up or down, in a circle, diagonal, or move differently. There is a slight chance it may do nothing at all.

After it moves, place the other hand under the pendulum swing and hold the intention, “stop.” Take a cleansing breath, then hold the intention, “no.” Watch for the pendulum’s response. When you have a yes and no, then ask silently or aloud, “Is this pendulum aligned with my energy?” When you have a yes, you have your match! If the pendulum doesn’t move at all, it’s not a match. (If you continue to meet pendulums that don’t move for you, you may be ungrounded or dehydrated).

Cleansing and programming your pendulum.

1. Crystals are sensitive and able to collect energy from spaces and other people, and you most likely aren’t the first to have asked the pendulum for a yes and no answer. Once you have your pendulum home, it’s time to cleanse and program it. Clear the energy by placing the pendulum on a plate of sea salt (not regular table salt). Put sea salt on a plate, and first ask the pendulum, “How many hours are needed to clear you of old energy?” Count how many circles or swings it gives you.

 2. Place the pendulum on the sea salt, and leave it there for the specified time frame. When finished, ask the pendulum, “Is the clearing complete?” and watch the answers it gives. In the rare occurrence it’s not clear, repeat the above.

3. After the energy is clean, use the pendulum to code your answers. Hold the pendulum firmly, elbow on a table or firmly against your body, and receive your answers once again. You can think or say silently or aloud, “yes,” or you can direct it, “Please show me yes.” This time, I suggest working with the pendulum to give you each of the following answers:

>> Yes

>> No

>> Maybe

>> Hell Yes

>> Hell No

>> Check back later / not now

*To share examples of how this might look, my answers are as follows:

>> Yes = Up and down

>> No = Side to side

>> Maybe = Clockwise circle

>> Hell Yes = Diagonal top left to lower right

>> Hell No = Diagonal top right to lower left

>> Check back later / not now = counterclockwise

Once we have the answers, I find they don’t change, so it’s unnecessary to recheck them. However, I would advise asking the pendulum if it would like to be cleared again and how often, then follow that schedule.

Putting your pendulum to use.

Once the pendulum is cleansed and programmed, you can start the journey of fun! Using pendulums is a simple tool to help us achieve answers we can be confident in, which is a great place to start!

Here are three ways to use the pendulum:

1. Think of your yes-no question, ask the question silently or aloud, and see what response you receive.

2. A fun and ego-less way to use the pendulum is to write several questions on matching note cards, turn them over, mix them up, then lay them out facedown. Hold the pendulum above each notecard and ask, “Thank you for showing the best answer to this question on this notecard.” Write the answer on the back, then flip them all over when complete.

3. For questions that you want to know compatibility rating for, hold out your nondominant hand, flat, fingers spread wide. Set the intention that each finger is a scale measuring percent in 20 percent increments (if the left hand is nondominant, the pinky = 20 percent, ring finger = 40 percent, middle finger = 60 percent, pointer = 80 percent, and thumb = 100 percent). Ask the pendulum, “Please show me the percentage of compatibility between myself and _____ (person, situation, or event).

Always make sure you are grounded and hydrated. These are two essential factors that can skew our answers.

There are many ways to use a pendulum: in healing work, for dowsing, to clear energy, or to clear chakras (if you are using a pendulum for chakra work, I stress the importance of learning from an appropriate cultural lineage). While we covered the basics of using a pendulum to help get answers and make decisions, when using a pendulum for divination or healing work, please make sure you pay attention to your autonomic nervous system and take steps to care for your energy field.

Finally, if you want a helpful tool, I have a gift for you. Download my free Pendulum Chart here.

May this guide be a fun starting point to encourage you to use pendulums in a fun and explorative way!

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