When is the right time to dowse? Any time!
But my favorite time to dowse is in the morning after meditation. I find that if I’ve had a good night’s sleep, I am naturally in tune with Spirit. If I don’t have to rush off for an appointment and I have time to truly relax and give myself the experience, then I feel my answers are clearer.
Dowsing is an art, and some days we might feel more the presence of our High Self and Higher Power. If I’m grouchy or irritated from too little sleep, I may need to take a bit more time to clear, center, and ground.
Sometimes just picking up the pendulum when upset can be very comforting. It’s an outer sign that we are attempting to connect with our High Self and Spirit. The pendulum is a reminder of a spiritual connection that is always there, to which we can become receptive in a moment.
Another little hint—dowsing right before bed can also be nourishing. My girlfriend who is a therapist loves to dowse and clear herself of the day’s drama. This allows her to sleep well and have peaceful dreams.
If you are emotionally upset, it’s not a good time to dowse. Wait until you feel more yourself and centered, and then work with the pendulum.
Spiritual Preparation for Using the Charts
We must prepare spiritually for using the Charts to ensure that we are plugged into the highest sources for answers. Just as we need to plug into the correct current of electricity for our appliances and energy needs in our homes and offices, we need to connect with our super-consciousness and Source to dowse. As we become more attuned, over time this process becomes easier and quicker.
Use the centering meditation or the grounding meditation described next. I like to always center before starting, or if I have more time and need, I love spending just a few minutes practicing the grounding meditation too.
Centering Meditation
Take three to five minutes to center yourself before beginning to learn to dowse. It’s a good idea to turn off your phone and set a timer. That way you can truly let go.
This is a short meditation to relax and breathe. Doesn’t that sound good in your busy day? By centering, we bring our consciousness to our breath, and we attempt to quiet the busy mind. As you take time to do this, your mind will more naturally find its center. Afterwards, you will be ready to use your pendulum, do research, and be prepared to receive correct answers.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. You might want to let out a few sighs or noises (“ah, ah”) and let yourself relax. Then, either out loud or to yourself, ask your High Self, your spiritual guide, or Spirit to merge and become present in your mind, heart, and spirit.
As you continue to breathe, consciously lower your shoulders and ask your body to relax. Move your consciousness to your toes and wiggle them. Feel your feet on the ground. Breathe slowly and rhythmically, and feel your chest moving up and down as the air enters and leaves your lungs.
Inwardly say a short, calming, affirmative phrase—for instance, “I am at peace and healing.” Or “I am relaxed, ready, and having fun using my pendulum.” Repeat the phrase, saying it slowly for three to five minutes.
When your mind meanders off into thoughts or worries, simply bring it back to the breath and affirmation. When your timer rings, give yourself a few seconds, wiggle your toes, stretch, and open your eyes.
Grounding Meditation
For years in my classes and counseling sessions, I’ve used a grounding meditation. I have found that many of us in contemporary life— including myself—become ungrounded. We are so busy with duties and responsibilities that it’s as if we are all operating a few inches or feet off the ground. The meditation that follows allows us to slow down, concentrate on bringing our energy into our bodies and our
feet, and connect with the Divine Earth Mother, who provides us with a home and a life.
After all, how can we heal ourselves, if we aren’t at home in the body?
Take a moment to get comfortable in your chair. You may want to loosen your shoes or take them off. Place your feet on the ground, and feel them on the floor or carpet. Take a few deep breaths. As you do, begin to notice your breath flowing in and out of your nose. Take a moment to loosen your shoulders, perhaps moving them up and down. You can even sigh and make a little noise to release any frustration you might be feeling. Again, as you breathe in and out, notice the breath moving. You might want to notice how you are feeling. Happy? A little sad? Or angry? While you breathe, just attempt to be with the emotion for a few seconds, and then let the emotion discharge with the breath.
Now, move your consciousness down, down to your feet. Imagine you have little green roots growing from your feet, growing longer and longer. Then traveling at the speed of light in an instant, they connect to the center of the earth. Ask to connect to your Divine Earth Mother. (Every time I do this, I see that Divine Earth Mother has a different costume on, and she likes to celebrate with us. Sometimes too she has a message for me or for the class I am teaching. In your mind’s eye, at first you might not see or feel the connection with Divine Earth Mother, but in time as you practice, this will come more easily.)
Now bring up Divine Earth Mother’s green and gold energy into your feet. Feel the connection, and bring it into your toes, the soles of your feet, and your ankles, then up into your legs and calves, and into the knees. Visualize the green and gold energy, touching every cell, every ligament, tendon, and bone.
As you remember to breathe slowly, bring the energy further up your legs and into your pelvic region. Send a giant taproot from your first (root) and second (sacral) chakras to the center of the earth connecting with Divine Earth Mother, who gives us her life force. Then bring that green and gold energy up into your pelvic region, into the core of your body, up your spine and back, and into your chest. Take a deep breath and see the green and gold energy as touching and healing every cell and every organ.
See it moving into your shoulders, down your arms, into your elbows, forearms, wrist, hands, and fingers, green and gold energy healing every aspect of your being. Now again, go up your arms, into your shoulders, your back, up your neck, and into each sense organ—mouth, nose, ears, and eyes; and into your brain, bathing every aspect of your physical self with Divine Earth Mother’s healing love and grace.
As the energy rises through your head, it spills over into your aura— the green and gold energy clearing and cleansing your aura. Focus on the top of your head, imagining a strong cord that connects you with your High Self and Higher Power. You are showered from above by the white light of Spirit creating an egg-shaped light surrounding and protecting you, reaching below your toes, stretching out past your fingertips, and to the top of your head.
Take a few moments to come back into the present. You might want to write in your journal about any experiences you had.
How do you feel at this moment? I like to ask my clients this question after doing the meditation together, as they usually appear surrounded by light and, sometimes, sparkles. Usually, they tell me they feel better emotionally and spiritually and are more present in mind and body.
Adapted, and reprinted with permission from Weiser Books, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, The Book of Pendulum Healing by Joan Rose Staffen is available wherever books and ebooks are sold or directly from the publisher at www.redwheelweiser.com or 800-423-7087.
Special thanks to Elizabeth Autumnalis and Angus McMahan for the photos.
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