Pendulum Dowsing – Useful for Daily Life
by Theresa Rempel

Dowsing is a way to access your own inner knowing, and a pendulum is the most portable dowsing tool since it can easily fit in a pocket. It can be beautiful—crystals suspended from a chain, or practical—the necklace you are wearing. It needs to have some weight evenly distributed so it will swing well.

I am a long time pendulum user. I confess I have a number of them, and tend to use them for different subjects. One of them is an orange calcite that makes me think of a carrot—I am a fan of all calcites. Another is made from seasoned driftwood by an experienced dowser in the US—it is beautiful and responsive. My newest is ruby in feldspar—another favourite crystal combination. It feels like it was meant for me.

If you are interested in pendulum dowsing, I recommend choosing one for yourself; in person so that you can try it out, see how it swings and responds for you. I once had a friend give me a pendulum with book as a gift. It wouldn’t swing for me at all, no matter how much I tried. I finally gave it to another friend for whom it responded immediately and well. This hadn’t been my first pendulum, so it wasn’t from lack of experience. Crystals have their own personalities, and this one wanted to be with the friend I gave it to. I was part of the path for it to get to her.

A pendulum will give you four responses—Yes, No, Maybe, Doubtful. It is important to find out which swing means which answer for YOU, because it can be different for each person. Take the chain or string of the pendulum between the thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand and start it swinging. This is like the blinking cursor on a screen waiting for you to start typing. When it is swinging, take a couple of breaths in and out to centre yourself and say, “Show me a Yes.” Observe what happens to the swing. Do this for No, Maybe, and Doubtful. Make note of the different responses for future reference.

The first question to ask when dowsing is, “Am I fit to dowse?” If the answer is no, take a few deep breaths and ask again. It’s important for your mind to be present when dowsing, not wandering. Your desire about whatever you are asking can also affect the response, so in order to get an accurate answer to your query, your mind should be calm.

The pendulum only answers one question at a time. “Will I see Tom or Mark today?” is actually two questions, so ask about them separately.

I find a pendulum useful in testing the effect of food, or supplements, on my body. I got this hand chart from another dowser. I put my nondominant hand over the substance I am testing. Holding the pendulum in my dominant hand at the base of the hand chart, I ask, “What is the effect of this on my body?” The pendulum swings to the appropriate response—Toxic, Detrimental, Neutral, Beneficial, Medicinal. Some issues I was aware of (gluten), but others were surprises.

Dowsing charts extend the kinds of information you can get. You can find them online, but you can also draw one by making a half circle and drawing dividing lines, like this one. You can make a chart for any subject.
Precise wording is needed for a question. “Should I go out tonight?” is very nebulous except the timeframe. If you ask, “Is it in my highest good to ...?” this covers more ground, and things that may or may not happen.

I hope this inspires whether you are experienced or not. The uses of dowsing are really limited only by your imagination.

Theresa Rempel is an empath and has always been sensitive to energy: people, environment, nature. So dowsing is a natural extension of this awareness, and a helpful tool. She is an Usui/Holy Fire III Reiki Master and Practitioner, registered with the International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP). She does Virtual Reiki treatments—face to face in the comfort of your home. To first-time clients, she offers an introductory free 15-minute session. For more information, see the Directory of Services ad on page 18 of the 31.4 Winter 2025 issue of the WHOLifE Journal.