Pendulums, a weight at the end of a flexible line, are one of the earliest
divinatory tools known, possibly predating the staff or dowsing rod. And,
still, today they are used by thousands of dowsers to find lost objects,
locate minerals, and find the source point of disease, etc. That fact, in
and of itself, is sufficient proof that pendulums work.
Pendulums are simple tools; the weight at the end of the suspensory device (thread, chain or even rope for large pendulums) is made stationary, a question is asked or an object/material visualized, and the search is on. In the case of simple yes or no answers, the dowser, based on previous experience will be given a positive or negative answer simply by the direction that the pendulum moves. If searching out of doors, the answer may be indicated by either excitation or relaxation of the pendulum's motion; the experience of the dowser will tell them which action to expect.
For someone new to dowsing who wants to work with a pendulum for the first time, the practice is simple and easy. Once the pendulum is obtained, the new dowser starts to work with it while carefully observing and noting the results. Simple yes or no questions such as "Today in Monday", or "My name is Grace" are good beginnings. Simply ask the question and note and record the response of the pendulum. Before long you will begin to note a simple yet clear difference between positive and negative responses. I suggest these questions to begin, rather than the tradition of asking the pendulum whether it is ready to work or whether or not this is an appropriate question for your pendulum for the simple reason that, until you create your own vocabulary with the pendulum, all answers will be incomprehensible.
Begin to vary the questions but keep them simple until you understand the feelings of the pendulum working and the meaning of its various motions, thus expanding and refining your vocabulary. Perhaps, for you, a clockwise movement means "yes". Someone else may find the same movement, for them, has the exact opposite movement. Others find that, instead of their pendulums swinging in circles, they swing in lines with the axis or angle each back and forth swing having a separate meaning. It is up to you to interpret the meanings but remember, there is no right and wrong way; what works for you is as good as any other.
Once you have established the foundation of a vocabulary with your pendulum it's time to not only expand that vocabulary but to learn a few of the principles of dowsing. The vocabulary expansion is left to you, you do it by asking questions to which you already know the answers then keeping a record of the actions of the pendulum. This is also done by seeking objects or materials that have been hidden in a limited area (under the living room carpet, in the back yard, etc.). The principles that you should learn to use when dowsing are equally simple.
Before doing serious work, ask the pendulum if it is possible to achieve your desired results with it. If so, ask if it is appropriate for you to proceed with your search. If either question is answered negatively, quit, at least for the time being. After all, there's always tomorrow when you can try again. If you receive positive answers to both of these questions your next step is to ground, center and then see and feel your question as well as ask it. The more clearly and precisely you see the question, the material or the object, the more strongly and clearly your pendulum should react, thus making your job easier.
Many dowsers today prefer to use quartz crystal pendulums which they tend to believe is capable of receiving and storing energy as well as dowsing, thus reinforcing the centering and focusing process of the dowser. Further a great number of new dowsers feel that such pendulums they will actually aid in the visualization process (in a manner similar to the use of a crystal ball). I really have no opinion on this matter but I can say that crystals, especially the smaller ones, due to their relatively small mass, are much more likely to be affected by external physical forces such as wind, forcing the dowser who uses a pendulum out of doors to use a larger pendulum than usual to achieve the same inertial reaction. However, a benefit of the lighter mass is that these pendulums may tend to be more sensitive to more subtle influences. Additionally, many New Age people feel that quartz is especially effective in dowsing ley lines and personal power centers. I tend to doubt this. One benefit of crystal and similar pendulums is that, with a long enough chain, they can actually be worn as jewelry, thus serving to sensitize you to their vibratory level and vice versa. As well, when worn that way they are always handy.
Should you be interested in dowsing out of doors but over a wide area, a pendulum can be of infinite assistance in narrowing down your search area. Simply find a map or, if possible, an aerial photograph of the general search area. Use your pendulum to narrow down the general area to a specific search area and then go over that area, either with your pendulum or your rods.
For further information on dowsing generally as well as pendulums specifically, the following books are recommended:
Spiritual Dowsing by Sig Lonegren; Gothic Image
The Ley Hunter's Companion by P. Devereux & I. Thompson; Thames & Hudson
The Diviner's Handbook by Tom Graves; Turnstone
"American Dowser Magazine" - American Society of Dowsers
"Journal of the British Society of Dowsers" - Sycamore Cottage, Tamley Lane, Hastingleigh, Ashford, Kent
For more information on dowsing contact The American Society of Dowsers, Danville, Vermont, 05828, area code (802) 684-3417