The Pendulum

Another device frequently resorted to by witches to "find things out" is the dowser, or water witch's
pendulum. This device is exactly what it purports to be, namely, a weight attached to a piece of twine.
The advantage of its use over that of other divination devices such as the rune sticks is the fact that it
needs very little ritual preparation and its use is extremely simple. The disadvantage, however, lies in
the fact that the answers it gives to questions are restricted to a solely "yes" and "no" basis. Often,
however, this suffices, so for that reason I am including the pendulum here.
The traditional witch manner of making a pendulum is this:
Obtain a lodestone or, failing that, a small steel magnet and some strong twine about nine inches in
length. Now, making sure the lodestone is free of dust adhering to it, or the steel magnet free from any
grease, glue one end of the twine to it with a drop of strong plastic household adhesive which binds
metal. When this is dry, sprinkle the pendulum with salt water, and cense it with an incense composed
of wormwood herb (also called mugwort, artemesia, or southernwood) and a few grains of mastic.
Now in order to employ your pendulum, you must either hold the thread firmly between the finger and
thumb of your right hand (your left if you are left-handed) and let it hang free, keeping your elbow
out, away from your body or, alternatively, tie the free end of the twine onto the middle of a short
stick or pencil, and holding one end of the stick lightly in each hand, rest your elbows on a table so
that the pendulum dangles free between them. You may now either ask the pendulum questions with a
"yes" or "no" answer or, alternatively, you may write the question down on a piece of paper and place
it so that the pendulum can swing freely over it. If the pendulum swings to and fro, toward and away
from you, the answer is "yes." If it swings sideways, however, the answer is "no."
Instead of the written question, you may also use a photograph of someone about whom you wish to
find out something, asking the question in the same manner.
Some witches also use the pendulum to "dowse" by, that is to discover hidden water, oil, or buried
minerals and lost articles. Here the pendulum should be held over a large-scale map of the suspected
territory, and used to "explore" it until an affirmative answer is given. Then the pendulum is taken to
the place indicated on the map, and using it, the witch then narrows her search down to the actual spot
where the sought-after item or items are to be located. The latter process is, however, fairly advanced
work. The beginner witch should only concern herself with obtaining 1 simple divinations by using it.
Generally speaking, divinations will always go better if you use your square of Mercury first. The
pendulum is no exception to the rule, although owing to the extreme simplicity of the divination,
many witches feel they can do without any form of Mercurial orientation.