Dowers or Pendulums are as old as time itself. From the very early days of Divination the 'Seeker' would use a Pendulum to gain answers to questions  as diverse as 'will it rain? ' to holding one over the stomach of an expectant mother and asking 'what sex will this unborn child be?'

The Pendulum can be made of a number of different materials - indeed almost anything can be hung from a cord or chain and used as a divination tool. Dowsers made of turned wood, metal spirals or stone are the most popular choices today although something as simple as a large threaded needle can be used in the absence of a purpose made tool.
 

Dowser pendulums come in an almost infinite number of designs , some examples of these are illustrated here.

Conical (Red Jasper)

There is no right or wrong  one to use, it is a matter of personal choice, remember you don't choose the tool, it chooses you so when buying your Pendulum always go with your  'gut' instinct. Each will perform in a similar way although added significance can be added to the use of your pendulum based in its material.

For use when divining matters of love a Rose Quartz Pendulum is more suitable as this is a gem stone that is associated with love and emotional healing. Rose Quartz allows the user to give and receive love in an unconditional way.

Some people when dowsing or meditating find they have difficulty staying grounded during divination work. In this case I would suggest using either a Red Jasper (see picture above) or Hematite Pendulum. Both of these gems are renowned for their earthing and grounding attributes.

When choosing your dowser take into consideration the type of work you will be using it for. Once you have your new dowsing pendulum you will need to cleanse and programme it before using it.

Firstly 'cleanse' the dowser (see the article 'how to cleanse' for more information). Once you have done this keep it safe in its pouch bag and under no circumstances allow anyone else to touch or use it. If you do, the dowser may become contaminated with the other persons energies and should this happen you will need to re-cleanse as previously recommended.

Programming Your Dowser Pendulum

When we talk about 'programming' an item we are referring to our ability to 'attune' to its unique qualities in order to begin working with it. People programme or attune in different ways and the way you programme your dowser will be personal to you. The way I am about to describe is my own personally developed approach. It can be applied to almost any item from a dowser to a healing wand, crystal or tumble stone. Feel free to try this method to programme your dowser or alternatively experiment and develop your own method.

To begin, sit quietly with your cleansed dowser in the palm of your 'receptive hand' this is your left hand if you are right handed and your right hand if you are left handed. Place your 'projective hand'  (the hand you write with) over the dowser to form a cup, covering it.

Close your eyes, breath deeply and slowly. Now imagine as you breath, white light energy forming above your head. Visualise this energy being drawn down through your head into your body. allow it to flow through your arms and into your hands. See the energy filling the dowser as it flows through your hands. Ask the pure white light energy to charge and protect your dowser, allowing it to be empowered for your personal use. As you do this visualise the energy entering the dowser and radiating though it.

Once you have finished, open your eyes and look down at your dowser. It has now been attuned to your personal energy vibrations and is ready for you to use. Remember not to allow anyone else to touch the dowser from now on or you will need to re-cleanse and recharge it.

By keeping the dowser close to you, in your pocket within your 'auric field', under your pillow as you sleep or on the bedside table, it will continue to draw from your personal magnetism, further charging it with your energy vibration.