Read

May/June 2008 Featured Stories
How to Use a Pendulum to Test Foods

by Caroline Sutherland

Medical intuition is a skill, one that is not the domain of a few gifted people. I believe that we all need to develop this ability. When you have mastered the art of tuning in, you are free. Testing yourself gives you a measure of control and understanding over your own health needs.

A very simple way to self-test is through the use of a pendulum. Anyone can learn to dowse or use a pendulum.

A pendulum is a weighted object that swings back and forth just like the tick tock pendulum that powers a grandfather clock. A pendulum can be made from a medallion on a chain, a ring looped through a piece of string or ribbon or a common nut (from a nut and bolt set) available at any hardware store. The nut is likewise looped through a short piece of soft string (approximately 16 inches long) and makes a perfect pendulum.

Make sure that the object you choose for your pendulum is heavy enough to drop down and hang, like a weight from the chain or string. If a pendulum weight is too light, it may not swing successfully. Fancy pendulums made from crystal or unique metals are available at health food stores or self-help bookstores. The object of the pendulum is to sense or identify a response to questions regarding the physical body. Your desire is to tap into the wisdom of your own body and begin to know and understand what it really wants. This is a great way to establish communication with the body that is trying its best to communicate with you on a moment-by-moment basis.

A pendulum, just like muscle testing or kinesiology, can only respond with a yes or no answer to your question. Your question must be framed so that the pendulum or your sensing device can respond with a simple yes or no answer.

Let it Swing

In your dominant hand, hold the chain with the medallion, or the string with the ring or the nut, so that the weight hangs directly down from your chain or string. There should be approximately six inches of string or chain length between your fingers and the weight at the end.

Hold the string with pinched fingers and in order to keep your arm stable, prop your elbow on a table. Take a few deep breaths to clear your mind and to feel calm and centered. A quiet mind can receive clear, accurate answers.

Find Yes and No

With your elbow propped on the table and your pendulum weight dropping directly down from your pinched thumb and forefinger, and without moving your pendulum on your own, ask to be shown what a yes or no indicator looks like. Your intention is to really know how to tap into the wisdom of the body.

Ask the question, "Show me a yes." To what or whom are you asking? You are asking the wisdom of the body or your higher self to respond to your question.

Ask again, "Show me a yes." Concentrate on the weight/object of your pendulum and your intention is to be shown by the movement of the pendulum what a yes or no indicator looks like to you.

The pendulum will respond by either moving back and forth or going around in a circle.

Next ask the question, "Show me a no." Concentrate fully on the pendulum and with the intention in your mind and heart, ask the pendulum to show you what a no looks like by the movement of your pendulum. Be sure that your rational mind is out of the way so that you are not influencing the responses of your question.

Keep a centered, calm focus and ask again "Show me a no." The pendulum will respond with a different action or movement than your yes. It might respond with a counter clockwise circle or a back and forth movement.

When I demonstrate the use of the pendulum, my yes is a circle and my no is back and forth.

Focus and practice establishing your yes or no response so that it becomes very familiar to you. When you have established your yes and no, you are ready to ask questions.

Ask Your Body

Let's start with the foods that you most commonly eat. Place all of these foods on the kitchen table.

Use single item foods such as: eggs, flour, orange juice, milk, cheese, sugar, coffee, corn (popcorn), beans, bananas, lettuce, butter, jam, chicken, beef and bacon, or even vitamin and mineral supplements.

Now prop your elbow in the table and hold your pendulum over each food, one item at a time and ask the wisdom of your body the question, "Is this substance beneficial for my body?"

Don't ask, "Can I eat this?" Because you can eat anything, but it may not be beneficial for you to do so.

Observe the response from your pendulum. Does it swing back and forth or does it make a circle? Some people find that the pendulum may quiver or not move at all in response to a no. This response could also indicate a maybe. Reframe the question and try again. Note the response to each item of food and set it aside

Continue to ask the question, "Is this substance beneficial for my body?" for every one of the food items on your table until you know which ones are beneficial and which foods are not.

It takes about three days of practicing the pendulum in order to become skilled enough to trust your responses. Most people pick it up very quickly. Some people find the pendulum laborious and slow, and they prefer muscle testing or kinesiology.

Caroline Sutherland is a medical intuitive and author of The Body Knows, which includes more on testing the body. Visit www.carolinesutherland.com.