A pendulum is a rock on a string..or a chunk of wood…or a piece of metal.
That's it. No special power in it. A tool, like a hammer or a can opener. Pendulums should be respected and cared for as you would any valuable tool.
One of my friends was "turned off" from pendulum use because she thought it might be "woo woo" or "witchcraft." She said the tide turned for her as she saw me use it to help my animals. That made it a useful tool. It became "earthy" and "practical."
Some use a reed or a stick as advised in the bible. Some even use a flame of a candle.
Some use "swaying" which is actually using the body as a pendulum. Some use muscle testing. Although, I have found muscle testing to be cumbersome. Muscle testing may work off beliefs and also can be manipulated.
On page 16-17 of I See Awake, Doug Mendenhall talks about dowsing. He was introduced to it by a son of Hugh Nibley who was taught to dowse by his father. Dowsing rods are used in many places to find water sources and other things. Most men who use them don't talk about it. It is just part of their tools they keep in their truck to accomplish their work and is not a big deal. Oliver Cowdery was told in an 1829 revelation he had a "gift" of working with the "sprout." This was later changed to "rod", then to "gift of Aaron".
From the Joseph Smith History: "Behold, there is no other power save the power of God that can cause this gift of Aaron to be with you. ... Therefore, doubt not, for it is the gift of God, and you shall hold it in your hands and do marvelous works, and no power shall be able to take it away out of your hands, for it is the work of God, and therefore whatsoever you shall ask me to tell you by that means, that will I grant unto you, and you shall have knowledge concerning it."
So…how does it work?
Your subconscious directs the brain which directs the muscles to move it through neuromuscular action.
What is the subconscious? (You can finds tons of information on the internet.)
I believe it's not only the subconscious that works with the pendulum, but the holy ghost or higher self. The Holy Ghost is another name or title given to the part of our soul/spirit that was present in the pre-existence, the one that has no veil, the one that knows our Father in Heaven and our brother, Jesus Christ and all the other things that transpired there.
We don't need a pendulum to contact the Holy Ghost, but what about a tool that can help?
Honest prayers from the heart bring you in contact with heavenly forces which help and guide you.
Why ought we learn to use a pendulum?
- to gain information
- to gain confidence and faith
- to learn to ask effective questions
Choosing a pendulum in person is the best way to realize which one catches the eye and you can actually touch it. I rely on spiritual guidance whether choosing one in person or online. I prefer those with a sharper point. Some prefer a wooden pendulum, but most people lean towards those made of crystals or rocks.
So….what do we do to get started: Approach with enthusiasm, optimism and confidence.
What else do we need?
- Belief that it works. (A pendulum will most likely NOT work unless you are holding it. Try it)
- Belief that you can do it
- Practice, application of techniques and concentration
Belief … is based upon the conviction a proposition is true. Belief grows into faith by learning, action and practice. Faith is mental exertion, instead of physical force.
Acting on Faith progresses by degrees and getting a result is knowledge--The kind of "knowing" that comes through revelation. Knowing that the answer comes from God. Joseph Smith defined faith as “the assurance which men have of the existence of things which they have not seen, and the principle of action in all intelligent beings” (Lectures on Faith 1:9)
The pendulum itself does not give answers. The pendulum is only a COMMUNICATION device.
As Hannah Kroger worked with the pendulum, one day she discovered that her mind could control the swing and movement. She almost gave up. What use is it if I could do that?
This is one of greatest challenges--to release control. HOW do we know the answers are not just our mind? Or what we WISH?
Beginning…
1. Make sure the pendulum has been cleared of any negative energies, cleansed and shielded against any adversarial influences.. Also shield yourself, especially inner shielding from thoughts and emotions. Cleansing the pendulum can be done by holding it under running cold tap water, soaking it in sea salt, or praying on it to clear it of possible picked up energies. It also may placed under a pyramid.
2. Grasp with 3 fingers about 2-6 inches above. Hold over middle finger of left hand. Ask "What is my positive pattern?" OR "Show me a YES answer."
Practice only this one aspect many times until you firmly establish the pattern. Pendulums swing in vertical straight lines, horizontal straight lines, and in circular movements. This can be done side-by-side, front and back, clockwise, counterclockwise, in an elliptical motion, or even in a bobbing movement up and down.
3. Next ask "What is my negative pattern?" OR "Show me a NO answer." Don't be in a rush. You may have to work on this up to a full day.
If you're not using a chart, suspend the pendulum over the other hand. Some say it reflects the energy back to the pendulum and operator. You can repeat the above questions with "Show me a Neutral."
Pray and don't forget to express gratitude. Prayer is important. It aligns you with positive forces. The core message should be that you do good work. You can keep it short and to the point.
Ten to twenty minutes of quiet meditation is recommended. Set an intention.
"My intention is to find my missing car keys".
"My intention is to choose an appropriate stone to wear for the day."
"My intention is to choose the appropriate supplements in the correct amounts for my horses."
"It is my intention to receive truthful answers which will serve the good of all concerned and to do the Lord Jesus Christ's work."
Ask good questions. A question should be one that can be answered with a positive or negative response. Poorly worded questions produce poor answers. Think carefully about the words. Good Question Example: Is it for my highest and greatest good to (go to this event at this time)? Rather than "Should I go?" Best not to ask "Should I do this or that? Why?
If you get a neutral, consider rewording the question. (You may want to read the example of "Is this missing person alive?" page 17 of Practical Pendulum by Dan Baldwin. In it he points out that when searching for missing persons, he always got a yes answer to that question--even if they were physically dead. He had to re-word the question to get a correct answer.)
It is NOT a toy for entertainment and not a means of prediction.
TIPS: Be prepared to ask several questions.
Stop pendulum between questions.
Establish your own directional swings.
Generally be the only person to handle your pendulum.
Completely stop any pendulum motion between questions to clear any lingering energies that pertain to the previous question.
Keep a notebook handy to write down any questions and the pendulum's response.
One way to remain neutral and open?--Close your eyes and imagine just a blank page after asking the question
Start out with "Is now the best time to do this checking?" (another time might be better) Best place?
May I? (permission), Can I? (Ability), Should I? (Appropriateness at this time).
Each pendulum may have a different response. That is why each person must establish their own directional swings before using a pendulum.
Mistakes are made when emotions overrun and ego goes on show. That applies to mortal life or work with the pendulum--Or when tired or otherwise overwhelmed. Other stumbling blocks include alcohol or drugs, medications, mental problems, wishing for specific answers, impatience, distractions, lack of concentration and emotions such as anger.
Pendulum and Science--IF you're really interested in the scientific explanations of how a pendulum works refer to Hannah Kroger's book. (This book is out of print. An earlier edition is available in some places. Check the used book sites on the internet.) She discusses PHYSICAL, ELECTROMAGNETIC and Higher dimensional energies.)
There is no scientific gadget which measures the output of an earnest prayer.
In Scriptures~~~~~The bible has a lot to say about using the rod--Moses, Jeremiah, Micah, Aaron, Ezekiel.
A rod is mentioned 88 times in scriptures, in the Old Testament, Book of Mormon, and in the New Testament. They were not walking staffs, which were mentioned 67 times. Shepherd staffs and walking staffs were longer and more stout. Rods were about 3 - 6 feet in length and usually more flexible. They were made of a variety of woods including almond trees, reeds, and even metal. They were used in a variety of ways including miracles like parting the Red Sea, turning dust into lice, and turning water into blood, and even as a whip like weapon.
The Savior, Nephi and Sam, and Paul were beaten by rods.
Moses gave them to the House of Israel priesthood leaders.
Aaron’s rod (that budded and produced almonds) was kept in the Holy of Holies of the temple.
The iron rod of Lehi and Nephi’s visions would have been grasped at the end as stated in the scripture, and it then guided or led those using it to the Tree of Life, a dowsing behavior. (Yep, an "iron" rod would be really heavy.) A rod generally would not be a long stationary banister type of railing as pictured by artists.
We are warned not to misuse the rod. Never use the pendulum for speculation, to gain power over others or for prediction. A pendulum is NOT for making predictions. Predictions come through Seeing and Knowing. It is the Seer in the Old Testament who predicted and saw future events,
What useful information can we get?: Shop for foods. Test for allergies. Test for supplements.
In July of 2022 we had a serious water leak in the basement. Using a pendulum, it revealed that leak was in the main water line, within 2 feet of the home and was NOT in the culinary yard water system. A week later, the plumbers discovered this was in fact true. The pinhole leak was within an inch of the basement wall.
I have had many other incidents in finding or not finding lost objects.
My pendulum indicated my lost camera was in my laundry room. I spent days searching through everything there. A week or two later when I wasn’t looking for the camera, I picked up a jacket hanging on a hook in there and the camera was hanging inside! I had completely missed it on the first search.
What about using charts? You can shortcut a lot of labor and time by using charts. Alphabet, number, etc.
Here are some examples of things more information can be obtained through charts.
Herbs, essential oils, flower essences, pH of the body, medication compatibility, sources of condition, origin of disease, relationship compatibility, what am I telling myself, who is involved, family lineage (genetic weakness), plant and soil condition, automobile diagnosis.
What other things can be done with a pendulum?
Balance and measure chakras.
Relieve pain whether emotional or physical.
I often get neutral when testing for supplements. I interpret that to mean "It won't particularly help, but won't hurt either."
Another example: I pendulum tested on a horse ride for which trail direction would be in our best interest to go--clockwise or counterclockwise? Pendulum showed counterclockwise. A half mile in we ran into a sheep herd running towards us that freaked the 2 white mares out. We had to turn back and go the other direction and avoided that portion of the trail that had the sheep. WHY was I told counterclockwise?? After the ride was completed I realized that had we gone clockwise first, we would have run into the sheep coming from the other direction and could not have safely finished the trail without completely back tracking.
There is a ton of material on the internet about pendulums and dousing. Be discerning. Most of it doesn't even bring God into the picture.
How reliable are pendulum answers?
A question you can ask is "What is The percent of my intuitive accuracy today?" (I use a percentage chart to determine this. Most often the percentage is in the 90s.)
Things to remember: REMAIN NEUTRAL. Remain open and free from cherished outcomes.
Emotions affect it and can definitely lead to inaccurate answers. Place your dowsing or pendulum mind in a separate place from your emotions.
What natural laws are involved in pendulum work?
One of the first lessons pendulum work teaches you is the power of thought. Note: Practicing these laws with a simple tool, in itself makes pendulum work worthwhile.
Here are some questions to consider:
How can pendulum work improve personal spirituality?
Can pendulum work bring me closer to Christ?
Can God use a pendulum to give you an answer?
Can the adversary use a pendulum to give you an answer?
The more you work with the pendulum, the keener your 6th sense will be. Assume nothing except that you are a blank page. I have had some people tell me that after a while, a pendulum becomes unnecessary in that they get direct revelation without the "training wheels" of a pendulum.
Remember "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." I shall keep my little ego out of the way. I shall keep my ever creative thoughts under control until I have asked my inner guidance--Jesus the Christ for his opinion…when using the art of the pendulum, "Let go and let God".
Remember—MOST IMPORTANT! The pendulum is just a TOOL. If riding a bike is like receiving inspiration and revelation, then a pendulum is the training wheels—which can be removed once experience is gained.
References: The Pendulum Charts, volume 1 by Dale Olson
The Pendulum Book by Hanna Kroger
The Practical Pendulum by Dan Baldwin
Lectures on Faith by Joseph Smith
I See, Awake by Doug Mendenhall
