What is a pendulum?

A pendulum is a small weight usually a pointed crystal or some other form of heavy object called a "bob" on the end of 6 - 10 inch piece of thread, string, twine, or chain. The word 'pendulum' is from Modern Latin pendulum, first used around 1643. It is derived from the Latin adjective pendulus "hanging down". While the name we know is pretty old in the scheme of things, it has been used throughout history for more than 1640 prior to its introduction into Europe. 

Pendulum Divination, also known as radiesthesia, dowsing, rhabdomancy, or water witching, is divination by utilizing human sensitivity to the subtle energies emitted by any source living or inert.

History of the pendulum

Pendulum divination can be traced back over 5,000 years to the ancient Orient.

One of the earliest known uses of a pendulum was in the first century seismometer device of Han Dynasty Chinese scientist Zhang Heng. Its function was to sway and activate one of a series of levers after being disturbed by the tremor of an earthquake far away. After years of observation of the sky, Zhang was able to draw a relatively detailed map of the stars. His observations enabled him to build a water-powered celestial sphere considered to be the world's oldest three-dimensional model of the heavens. He then used the power of water to make his globe complete one rotation every year, showing how the positions of the stars changed from a winter solstice to the next.

Zhang Heng (c78-139), was a native of Nanyang in central China's Henan Province,. He was a mathematician, astronomer and geographer of the Eastern Han Dynasty (c25-220). He became chief astrologer and minister under the Emperor An'ti of China. Some believe it is his work as astrologer where he merged his use of the pendulum from his seismometer with his knowledge of time, motion and the stars to predict future events for the Emperor.

It isn't until centuries later when the use of the pendulum as a divination tool can be found in Europe. One of the earliest European uses of the pendulum was through Dowsing. Dowsing as a practiced appears to have come through Germany during the 15th century, when it was used to find metals. As early as 1518 Martin Luther listed dowsing for metals as an act that broke the first commandment. The 1550 edition of Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia contains a woodcut of a dowser with forked rod in hand walking over a cutaway image of a mining operation.

Some of the earliest stories of pendulum use for divination comes through Italy and traveling gypsies. To escape persecution for possessing 'tools of the devil', early gypsies would wear their pendulums as necklaces. The pendants would function as simple decoration when worn. But when removed could be quickly used as a tool for divination.

Pendulum dowsing or divining depending on which term you prefer to use has been around a fair while. It is said pendulums have caused a fair share of controversy throughout history. There is an incident in which a gentleman demonstrated the use of his pendulum to the U.S Navy, whereby he dowsed a map and located all the U.S navy's fleet of submarines during the Cold War in the 1960's. During WWII, a pendulum was used by Colonel Kenneth Merrylees to locate deeply buried bombs. In Europe early scientists and doctors would use pendulums to locate infections and weak areas of the body. Doctors would also use certain pendulums to determine the gender of unborn infants.

How should a pendulum “really” be used”?

To gain information from:

1) Your Subconscious Mind.

2) Your body and cells of your body.

3) Your Higher Self (the intuitive spiritual part of your spirit).

A pendulum react to your subconscious mind. When held properly, the pendulum will react to very small nerve reactions in your fingers that are generated by your unconscious mind in response to a question poised. Different nerve reactions will be detected depending on what your subconscious mind knows. These nerve reactions are transmitted to your fingers from your unconscious mind and thru your fingers to the chain holding the weight of the pendulum. These tiny never transmissions affect the chain and are then transmitted thru the chain to the weight --causing it to move in some direction ...a pendulum is not moved by some spirit, or by magic, it is moved by your mind, just the part you can't normally communicate with very well. – Crystal Vault Pendulum Guide

Why would it be helpful for me to tap into my subconscious?

The subconscious mind is the part of your spirit that ~

1. Directs and controls ALL of the physical aspects of your body, including brain chemistry, hormones, hormonal balance, metabolism, fat storage, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, joints, glands, organs, blood, immune system, lymphatic system, muscular structure, skeletal structure, cardiovascular system, digestive system, cells, automatic behavior. You name it. If it is part of the body, the brain and their functions, the subconscious directs and controls it. This is the part of the mind some people call the automatic mind and others call the unconscious - the part of the mind you are not aware of consciously.
2. Is the seat of your emotions. Want to know what you are really feeling? The subconscious knows.
3. Is the seat of your memory. Want to know what you’ve forgotten? The subconscious and Higher Self know.
4. Carries out the will of your soul by directing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energies that affect your body, your brain, your realities. Not manifesting the healing you want? The financial security you want? The psychic abilities you want? The relationships you want? The intimacy you want? The weight you want? The behavior you want? The golf game you want? The test scores you want? The job you want? Better check the subconscious to discover the inner thoughts; i.e. unconscious beliefs and programming, that are causing the subconscious to block the goal you want.

Why would the subconscious block you from achieving your goal if you have free will? Simple. Think, for just a moment, of your will as being very similar to computer programming. What happens with a computer when you try to do something that its programming does not support? Correct. You are blocked from doing it. You have to install programming that will support what you want to do. What happens when a program you already have on the computer either prohibits you from installing the new programming or keeps the new programming from working? You have to find out what part of the old programming is interfering with the new programming and either remove it or re-program it.

At every stage of your life - from the womb on - you have been "installing programming in the computer" that is your subconscious mind. Your mind records your every thought, your every belief. You think as you move from one stage of your life to another that your beliefs change. You are only partly right. Your conscious beliefs change. Your subconscious beliefs that are stored in your memory banks as programming do not change until you go into the subconscious to remove or re-program them.

You can use the pendulum to help you find the "old programming" - the subconscious beliefs - that block you from manifesting your goals and desires. These "old programs" were created in past lives, during the growth of your body and brain in the womb, at birth, all during your childhood, during your teen years and all through your adult years as well. "What you "bought into" you now "own". Want to change some of this? You must do the work to make that happen. Remember this: You are spirit. You have free will. Angels cannot interfere with the "old programs" of your free will. Neither can Spirit Guides. Neither can the Higher Self. Neither can prayers and GOD won’t because GOD promised never to interfere with the will of spirit. Even if we use our will to make bad things happen to ourselves or others, GOD still will not interfere because GOD promised never to interfere no matter what. That is the meaning of free will. So what happens when you say, "GOD Help Me"? All that GOD and Spirit have put into place to help you is activated to do just that. You receive dreams, visions and thoughts from your Higher Self informing you of what is blocking you from your powers to help yourself. You receive GOD messages from spirit and from embodied beings that remind you of the power of your will and the importance of using that power for yourself, not against yourself. Ergo, your prayers are always answered.

Resources:

http://www.paganspath.com/meta/pendulum.htm

http://www.odysseyofthesoul.org/freomm/pendulum.htm

http://www.crystalvaults.com/pendulum-guide

http://www.bewitchingbee.com/pendulum_divination.htm

http://www.sacredhaven.co.uk/pendulums.htm