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Communication With The Goddess
The Crossing Press 2004 ISBN #1-58091-163-3
Many people do not realize that working with a pendulum is an art - an art that has been around for thousands of years, especially connected with the art of dowsing. It is not a party game, and really should not be treated lightly. With little or no instruction, people will pick up a pendulum, get very excited when they start to see it moving, and then be very disappointed with the responses to their questions. The assumption is made that the pendulum does not work - when in actuality, it does work, if worked with in a respectful, focused manner. I was introduced to Diane Stein through her book "Essential Reiki". It was a book that stirred controversy, a book that was ahead of its time, and a book that became an essential resource for those wishing to understand more about the field of Reiki healing. In many ways, I feel that Pendulums and the Light will do the same for pendulum work. One of the major premises of this book is that we are connecting with an energy body, a light source, and that through this source we are receiving our information. That source can be our Higher Self, it can be a Goddess ... it can be whatever we wish to connect with in a spiritual manner. One of the things that we need to do in pendulum work is to dedicate our pendulums, to consciously allow only those beings of the light to come through, and to block out negative and disturbing energies. Stein addresses several issues: the purchase or creation of a personal pendulum, the materials that make it up, how to clear the energy, the technique of using the pendulum, and the many uses that can be addressed through pendulum work. She begins with the purchase (or creation) of pendulums. Practically anything can be used to create a pendulum. Some materials are of a one time use nature, some are meant to last for longer periods of time. The primary template is that of a small, weighted object connected to a length of cord (or chain) that will allow it to swing freely. Stein gives several specific examples in the book of things found around the home and workplace that will function quite well, from paper clips to buttons and more, with string or thread as a cord. She goes into quite a bit of depth when discussing creating a pendulum that is intended to be used over a period of time - the jewelers tools that will need to be purchased, what some of the pitfalls are, and different ways of attaching the pendulum to the cord or chain. For extended use, Stein indicates that pendulums are usually either made of metal (such as brass) or gemstones (I have a rose quartz pendulum that I treasure, and another that is made of clear quartz - both give excellent readings). The one disadvantage to crystal pendulums is that they are more fragile, which would be a concern if you intended to make heavy use of it. (I have never had this happen - but my pendulum use is only several times a month.) Another consideration is the metal that the chain is made from. Real silver and gold carry energy better than some other metals, meaning that your results will be more accurate. When purchasing, rather than making, a pendulum, Stein advises that you listen to how it "feels" - how attracted are you to it? If you are not attracted to it, don't buy it, even if it is the only one available. If you do not connect on a personal level with your pendulum, it will not work for you. Look at the quality of the metal in the chain - it is cheap, it will break and have to be replaced. Last - try working with the pendulum in the store. Or, if you have a working pendulum with you, ask it if the new pendulum is one that you should purchase. Once you have your pendulum (or the materials for making one) home, there are two things that you want to do - cleanse the pendulum (or the materials that you will be working with), and dedicate it. When making her own pendulums, Stein cleanses the materials before beginning to work with them, and then does a cleansing on the finished product. Specific instructions are given for cleansing with sea salt, sea salt and water solutions, herbs, incense, flower essences, sunlight and moonlight. Dedication of your pendulum is the next important step. Light energy cannot work through channels or tools that are not dedicated. Once the tool (or person) is dedicated, they become a channel for healing and psychic activity. Stein presents a very good case for why this is necessary, and how to go about doing it. Some interesting thoughts that she presents here are dedicating the pendulum to a certain type of work, as well as dedicating the pendulum to specific deities or energy bodies. Stein goes into great detail when discussing the mindset that needs to be attained to make best use of the pendulum. The person doing the work needs to be focused, so that they can act as a clear channel for the information coming through. They need to be able to establish a clear, strong connection with the energy body that they have dedicated their pendulum to (even if the pendulum is simply dedicated to the Light). She discusses the need to quiet outside sources of noise (TV, radio, phone etc), and enter into a meditative state. The mind needs to be quieted before the work can begin. Focusing on the flame of a candle and focusing on breathing are two different techniques presented here. The information on using a pendulum appears about halfway through the book, which makes sense, when you realize that a great deal of groundwork needs to be done before a pendulum can be used with any accuracy. Stein reemphasizes the need for clearing and dedicating the pendulum, and starts out with very easy exercises that will allow the practitioner to connect with their pendulum and understand what the movement means (it is really best to ask the pendulum how it is going to answer for yes, no and maybe, rather than suggesting or forcing a certain movement that the energy body working through the pendulum may not want to use). Respect for the work being done and the light body (or bodies) helping you is essential. Now that you have established a personal connection with your pendulum, Stein moves on to how to phrase questions. This has to be done in a thoughtful manner, because there are three basic replies here: yes, no, or maybe. The question needs to be phrased in a short, succinct manner ... so that the answer you receive gives you the information that you need. The question needs to be asked so that a yes, no or maybe answer is appropriate. If you are not getting a clear answer, another question you might want to ask is if you are meant to have the information. There are cases where, for whatever reason, we are not ready for or are simply not meant to have certain information. Asking a series of clear questions, as Stein shows in this chapter, can give the practitioner a wealth of information. There is a chapter devoted to troubleshooting. If your answers are inconsistent, or are not coming through well (or not at all), there are certain things that can be looked at. The first would be the focus and attention of the practitioner - are you doing all that you can do to respect the work with your pendulum? If you are not in a personal space where you can concentrate properly, then leave the work for another time. Allowing distractions to occur, or simply not looking at the pendulum will also present problems. You need to understand what the manner of movement for your pendulum means. You need to make sure that your pendulum is energetically clean and clear, and that the Light Being working through it is a positive one. Look at the nature of your question - trivial questions, or questions about games of chance, are not areas that you should be working in. The use of charts is something that I was happy to see addressed here. Charts can be used for timing, to determine physical location and much more. They can be in many different forms, but something along the lines of a pie chart seems to be the easiest to use (at least it is for me). A pie chart can give gradients on the yes/no/maybe variation that can be very helpful. Another method that Stein presents is the list method. Make a list of possible responses, and slowly run your finger down the list, concentrating on each item until you get a response. This is a wonderful way to work with issues like which foods are best for you, which vitamins will be most beneficial etc. The methods for using the pendulum are limited only by the imagination of the practitioner! Healing is an area that many people may not connect with pendulum work. Stein addresses ways in which this work can be done, as well as the legal issues (licensing etc) connected with it. This is a relatively uncharted area, and one that I believe can and should be seriously addressed. Karmic release is a subject that can certainly open up new worlds for many people - in essence, it can give them back their lives. Stein posits that even after the karma for a lifetime has been worked through, that damage to the physical and spiritual bodies remains. It is this damage that we need to release. This allows the cycle of karma to be completed. There is a specific manner in which this is to be done, and it is a manner that anyone can understand and work with. I found Pendulums and the Light - Communication With the Goddess to be easy to understand, and easy to work with. It opens up the work that can be done with pendulums, while at the same time making it clear that there is a "burden of responsibility" with this work. I highly recommend this book as a resource and as a "check" for those already doing pendulum work to make sure that they are doing it in the best manner possible.
Bonnie Cehovet
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