Crystal Pendulums 101: A Beginners Guide
In life, we all need a little reassurance, and a crystal pendulum will do just that. They are beautiful, versatile and unique tools that can help make your everyday decisions easier.
But if you’re new to the world of pendulums, then where do you begin?
Here’s the complete beginner’s guide to crystal pendulums with everything you need to know.
What is a pendulum?
Simply put, a pendulum is a divination tool that’s used as a transmitter of sorts.
It’s a weighted object (usually a cone shape with a point) hanging by a chain, string, ribbon or long cord.
Pendulums can come in many shapes and styles but one of the most popular designs is usually a crystal pendulum.
Think of it like water dowsing, how people use a pendulum or metal rods to discover water underground. Well, a crystal pendulum is used pretty much in the same way but to connect to your higher self.
What is a pendulum used for and how does it work?
A pendulum can be used in many different ways, but the number one thing (and the one I personally use it for) is to answer questions.
Sometimes I use it to connect directly to my higher self, my guardian angels, archangels or other spiritual teachers. Or I’ll use it to help with my tarot readings by trusting the pendulum to pick the appropriate cards.
Pendulums can also be used in spell work or healing practises, such as Reiki, to identify blocked chakras etc. They can also be used to choose crystals, cleanse negative energies within a room or even help to recover lost items.
The pendulum works by acting as a kind of transmitter. It channels the energetic vibrations from your higher self and spiritual protectors, helping them to communicate directly with you. Once the pendulum has the answer to your question it will either move back and forth, move in a circular motion or vibrate on the spot.
I find it best to ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions; this is when the pendulum is most responsive.
How do I get started?
To start receiving answers from your pendulum, you must cleanse it first. You’ll also need to calibrate the pendulum to completely understand what it’s telling you.
To do this, simply hold the pendulum in your dominant hand by the top of the chain, letting the weight fall, and ask it to show you the response for ‘yes’ and then again for ‘no’.
With my pendulum, a ‘yes’ is a pronounced circular motion, a ‘no’ is a straight back-and-forth motion, and rarely, if there is an undecided response, it’ll gently vibrate on the spot. After my questioning, I like to say thank you before ending the session and placing it back in its silk casing.
You can absolutely communicate with your pendulum, for instance, if you want a stronger response and a definite answer you can ask for that. Sometimes I will gently instruct the pendulum to be ‘louder’, in which case it’ll produce a bigger movement so I can be clear on the answer. Or if I ask it to stop between questions, it will do so and become still.
Remember: it’s extremely important to cleanse your pendulum before use and throughout its life, just like you would your other crystals.
Where do the answers come from?
I’ve often thought this myself but I truly believe the answers come from a benevolent higher power, a protective force. People will often think it doesn’t work or say ‘oh you’re moving your hand’ and that’s fair enough, but with practice, you’ll soon realise it moves on its own.
How to know which pendulum is ‘The One’?
More often than not, you won’t need to search for the right one, the perfect pendulum will find you. The same as when looking to buy crystals, they usually make themselves known to you and when their work is done, they’ll make that obvious too.
It is possible to pick the ‘wrong’ crystal pendulum but don’t feel disheartened and don’t give up, it’s merely all about energy alignment.
I actually have an amethyst pendulum with a broken tip that I’ve had for years. It’s my favourite pendulum and out of all the others in my collection, I still find I connect best with this one. I once tried replacing it with a rose quartz pendulum but simply couldn’t take to it, then after a few more tries, it snapped right off the chain.
Just like with anything else, it might take a while but you’ll find the one that’s meant for you!
I hope this guide has inspired you to look into getting your own pendulum. It’s a lot of fun if nothing else.
