How to choose a pendulum 

Choosing a pendulum is a very personal choice. They can come in all shapes and sizes, suspended on chains and also on cords. It can become overwhelming and sometimes even costly when settling on what to make or buy.  This article will help you determine what type of pendulum is best for you. 

Essentially when choosing a pendulum we want to make sure that we resonate with it. Think about how we feel when we rush to the shops and don’t try on clothing before buying it. We tell ourselves that we will work out how to wear it when we get home and maybe it will look better once you pair it with the right shoes and accessories that you already own; only to find that when you get home, you don’t like the feel of it and don’t like the way it hangs on your body. You feel uncomfortable and don’t want to wear it again. The same thing happens with pendulums. 

You may have a small hand so a very big and heavy pendulum will not feel right, it may feel too hard to control or sluggish in its movement. Some materials move faster than what you would like as well, red jasper is an example that I can say from experience. It is important to let the pendulum choose you – it sounds like a cliché, but if there is a pendulum that you cannot get off your mind, the chances are, it’s choosing you. 

Some key factors you need to consider before buying a pendulum

• What are you using your pendulum for? Basic Yes/No questions, chart or list dowsing, healing? Other esoteric practices? 
• Are you careful with your belongings? Crystal pendulums can very easily break or chip. 
• Will you be diligent in clearing the unwanted energies in your pendulum? If not, you should buy a self-clearing pendulum or a wooden/metal pendulum that is minimal in picking up negative energy. 

What shape pendulum to choose? Does the shape make a difference to efficiency when dowsing?

Many dowsers around the globe will argue that the type of pendulum does not make a difference, but based on my professional experience, I beg to differ – along with many other dowsers out there. Depending on what you are using it for, some shapes/types are better than others, especially for the use of remote healing practices. 

• For a simple yes/no use of a pendulum, any shape is fine – you can even use your favorite necklace with a pendulum on the end or any type of special or sentimental object that is suspended on a chain or string. 

• For healing practices, Egyptian-style pendulums are best suited. One of the most commonly used Egyptian pendulums for healing and general energy work, is the ISIS type of pendulums. 

• For chart or list dowsing, you need a pendulum which is long and narrow, and preferably with a pointed end, the same for map dowsing. 

• For locating missing people or lost items, or esoteric work, a pendulum with a chamber is quite beneficial. You can put a sample of whatever you are seeking, inside the pendulum to better connect to the frequency of whatever it is. 

A note on Crystal pendulums

There are many pendulums that are suitable for different applications as mentioned earlier in this article. But I need to put emphasis on the use of crystal pendulums and do admit that these pendulums are better for simple yes/no. 

I must note that I find crystal pendulums to be very fickle things, they have a mind of their own – some of them are also very hard to clear of negative energy that is absorbed from the user or from the surrounding environment. I can speak from personal and professional experience that I have had some pendulums that seem more enthused to answer a certain type of question over others, and even pendulums which have ignored my questioning whereas the pendulum over to its right was happy to answer. 

Imagine you are having a tough day, you were stressed at work or your spouse upset you the night before. You go to use your crystal pendulum and you immediately emit a certain negative frequency from your emotional energy – it is then absorbed by the pendulum. You may find that the pendulum tells you whatever you want to hear, even though logic says that couldn’t be true, like “will I win the lottery tomorrow for 6 million dollars?” The pendulum says yes and then it says no, and possibly yes again – and so on so forth. We know the likelihood of someone winning the lottery like that – it’s unlikely. 

Aside from what I have mentioned above, if you are worried about the accuracy of your dowsing, there are also many other factors that can affect this. Australian Reader offers dowsing classes if you would like to learn more about these things – there are far too many to list here in this article. 

Pendulums that are not cleared of unwanted energies can affect the accuracy of the dowsing. The sort of issues you are likely to encounter by using a crystal pendulum are very unlikely to occur with wooden or metal pendulums. There are even Egyptian pendulums which are self-clearing so you don’t have to worry at all. 

Because crystal pendulums can be stunningly beautiful, everyone continues to use them. Various crystals have healing and protection qualities which also adds to their appeal. If you are adamant that you will only use crystal pendulums, please see my article on how to cleanse the energy of your crystal pendulum.