FUN FACT: I am actually the most indecisive human ALIVE. I don’t know if it has to do with being a Leo, or just something I need to address in therapy, either way- I hate making decisions. Rock paper scissors is a game we play often in this house & if we are going to a restaurant with a big menu, I have to mentally prepare myself (always the last to order & typically just have to rely on the waitress to pick for me).
Another thing about me you may not know: I am so into all things spiritual. I taught myself how to read tarot, am always cleansing my crystals & saging the shit out of my house when the energy isn’t right, & a pendulum is my GO-TO when it comes to making decisions. I have been using a pendulum for YEARS & when I shared that on my Instagram stories- so many people had no idea WTF a pendulum was.
SO- you know I had to do a post about it because, it just works. I know there are so many skeptics out there, but every single person I have introduced to a pendulum is now a believer!!! LET’S BREAK IT DOWN…
The Fashionlush Guide to Using a Pendulum
WTF is a Pendulum?
Looking at it, it’s a crystal shaped like a point at the end of a string or chain. You can get other materials than crystals (wood pendulums apparently work great), but I love the energy of crystals so I all my pendulums are crystal ones.
In more detail- a pendulum is a tool for spiritual healing & inner growth. When you hold your pendulum it will swing back/forth/or in a circle, which is how you get your answers (we will get to this!).
How to Choose a Pendulum
Answer: you don’t choose a pendulum, it CHOOSES you… which makes shopping for a pendulum so fun. If you can go to a crystal store to feel some, great- if not, you can still know while shopping for the online (I will link some beauties below!). It’s just a matter of energy & using your intuition- you will feel with the pendulum is the right one for you.
If one catches your eye & just feels right, that’s the one for you. As mentioned above- you can get wood ones, but I always go for crystals & mainly quartz. My favorite pendulum is rose quartz- but I am currently shopping for a new one (mine cracked, which just feels like it’s telling me time to find a new one)… maybe I will mix it up this time?! Basically I will just pick the one I can’t stop looking at. EASY AS THAT!
The key to choosing a pendulum is to not overthink it & let your instincts do the picking! I have used my mom’s before & they work just as well, so at the end of the day, just pick the one that speaks to you most!
How to Use a Pendulum
Now for the fun part- HOW TO USE YOUR PENDULUM! Some people get super detailed with their spiritual rituals, but for me, I keep it simple…
☆ STEP 1: first things first, cleanse your pendulum as soon as you get it. You don’t know how many people handled it or touched it, so you want to make sure to cleanse it of others energies… especially since crystals really absorb energy. For that same reason, I don’t love sharing my pendulums with others. You can cleanse it with sage or run it under cold tap water (this is what I do!).
☆ STEP 2: Ground yourself!! Sit down, feet on the ground, & hold your pendulum for a second. I don’t know if everyone does this, but I like to hold it in my fist for a little so it absorbs my energy. Take some deep breaths & mellow yourself out, I like to be in a calm state of mind before I start.
☆ STEP 3: now that your grounded & ready to go, time to identify your “YES” & your “NO” with your pendulum. The pendulum responds by swinging, so you need to know which direction is yes & which is no. To do this, simply hold your pendulum string about in front of you & ask basic yes/no questions, some questions i ask:
“is my name _____ (insert your name here)?
“Am I ____ years old?”
“Am I a boy?”
As you can see, the last question I asked if I am a boy because I want it to tell me no. You want to ask questions that give both a YES & NO response so you know which direction is which. If it swings left when you ask if you’re a boy (if you are actually a girl) than you know left means no. Then when you ask if you are a girl- it will swing the other direction because the pendulum KNOWS. Trust me… it knows.
Sometimes it will swing straight to the left or straight to the right, but my pendulum has always swung in circles (clockwise or counterclockwise) & the coolest part is sometimes it swings in a small circle while other times the circle is HUGE & strong- which always makes me think the pendulum is trying really hard to let me know that it is right (it always is!)
☆ STEP 4: now that you know which direction is yes & which direction is know, time to ask the real questions! This is the easy part of it all, but know- the pendulum can only answer yes or no so your questions have to be in a yes or no format. I have tried asking a question before that is more long form, just to see what happens, and it will swing straight- basically telling me it’s confused. It’s pretty magical & I promise you- IT WORKS. It has never failed me once…
OKAY, THAT’S IT… TIME TO SHOP FOR SOME PENDULUMS!
now that you know how to use it, time to pick your perfect pendulum! I listed a few I love below, but if none are catching your eye- you can hit up your local crystal shop or browse Etsy for tons of amazing options! Update: I went with this one– I am just so drawn to rose quartz & love the hoop on the end.
