How to Use a Pendulum + Free Pendulum Board Printout

Mar 4, 2020 | Blog

Pendulums are one of the most beginner friendly divination tools out there and they can be used with or without a pendulum board for guidance. They can be made from a crystal, a crystal cage or just a simple weighted pendulum.

Crystal pendulums are by far my favourite type, as you can use different pendulums depending on the type of question you’re asking. For example, if you have a question about love, then a Rose Quartz pendulum is preferred. If confidence is an issue and you have a few decisions that need a definitive answer, then a Tiger’s Eye pendulum is ideal.

How do pendulums work?

Pendulums, like other divination tools, tap into our subconscious minds, to help us unlock the answers hidden deep within. When asking our pendulums a question, what we are actually doing is asking our subconscious mind, the pendulum is just a vehicle that the mind is driving.

The movements made by the pendulum are tiny, minute movements, that are being made by our hand, which is being controlled by our subconscious mind. That’s why we can never tell that our hand is moving, it looks like the pendulum has a mind of its own.

How to use a crystal pendulum

Now that you’ve invested in a crystal pendulum of your choice, it’s time to put it to use. There are a few ways you can use the pendulum, you can use it free hand or with a pendulum board.

Free hand means that you ask the pendulum simple yes or no questions and pay close attention to the direction and patterns it creates. If you use your pendulum this way, make sure to set the directions for yes, no and maybe before asking your final question. This allows you to see which direction means what answer.

Pendulum boards can be really helpful and offer a more detailed and direct answer. You can get printouts like the one I’ve made for you guys below, or there are some stunning wooden pendulum boards on Etsy.

How to use the pendulum board print out

I’ve created a simple pendulum board that you can print out and use for your own divination. It’s pretty basic, so it’s perfect for beginners.

You can either stick with the simple yes, no, maybe or unknown answers, or if you’re feeling a little more confident, then you can start to incorporate the meanings of the moon phases into your answers.

Incorporating the moon phases

You’ll notice that there are two of each answer, and each one is linked with a different moon phase. Here’s how you can interpret each with their associated phase:

Yes – New Moon = This is a new path that you must go down // Full Moon = Time to push forward with this

No – First Quarter = Have strength and don’t give up // Third Quarter = It’s time to let go, it no longer serves you

Maybe – Waxing Gibbous = It’s time to try some manifestation to make things happen // Waning Gibbous = Practice gratitude and review lessons previously learned

Unknown – Waxing Crescent = Only you can inspire action and create options // Waning Crescent = More needs to be released in order to find clarity

What questions should you ask your pendulum?

Because the pendulum can’t give you mega detailed answers to all of life’s questions, it’s best to stick with questions that require only a yes or no answer. Really think about how you word your questions and think about how you can get the most from your answers, by simply rewording or changing perspective.

A good tip is to use the following question starters such as:

Will I…
Can I…
Should I…

And avoid things like:

How can I…
When will…
How will…

Be direct with your wording, try and keep it personal and avoid asking questions about others. You’ll get much clearer and precise answers if you can stick to uncovering your own subconscious, rather than trying to psychically figure out other people.

Three Ways to Use Oracle Cards (for Beginners)

Feb 4, 2020 | Learn Tarot, Oracle Cards

Use your Oralce Cards like a pro with these three easy and beginner friendly Oracle Card spreads.

If you've been thinking about diving into the world of Oracle Cards but not sure where to start then this is the blog for you. I'll show you three simple ways to start using your Oracle Cards so you can start to benefit from the amazing, universal wisdom of the cards.

WORDS: Cat Crawford

IMAGE: Conscious Design on Unsplash

Oracle cards are like tarot cards less detailed sibling. They have their own power and energy that is different to the more traditional tarot cards, but they are perfect if you’re are a mega busy person or just looking for more generalised advice and guidance.

With tarot, you are really drilling down into the nitty gritty of the subconscious and it’s a very personal journey for each individual. Oracle cards are more about helping you see the bigger picture and giving you shots of wisdom and guidance, that could help you focus and set intention.

People often feel like they have to fall into one camp or the other, an Oracle Card user or a Tarot fanatic. I always encourage beginners to experiment with both. Which one is best for the job depends on the job at hand.

I like to think of oracle cards as a daily divination tool and tarot cards for more long term planning. If you’ve grabbed yourself an oracle deck recently, then here are three different ways you could start experimenting with your oracle cards.

One Card Daily Oracle Card Readings

One of the most common ways to use oracle decks, especially for complete divination beginners, is a one card pull.

Using the cards in this way gives you a focus for the day and tells you what the universe wants you to know that day. You can do these readings as often as you like, so it doesn’t have to be every day. It could be that you only draw a card when you’re in need of some spiritual and emotional support or guidance.

How to do a one card pull

Grab your oracle deck and give the cards a good shuffle. I always aim for the magic number of three, three good shuffles and your cards should be ready to go.
Next, split your deck into three equal piles and spend a few seconds seeing if you feel a pull towards any pile in particular.
Whichever pile you feel drawn to, grab that pile and fan the cards out in front of you.
Again, tap into any pulls you feel towards any of the cards in front of you. Whichever you feel most drawn to is your card for that day.

*If you’re in a rush, you can simply shuffle and pick from either the top or bottom of your deck for a quick hit of guidance.

Moving Forward Two Card Oracle Card Spread

One of the things that the oracle cards are best at, is delivering clear and concise messages from the universe. These messages are not just what we need to know to move forward, they can also tell us what we need to leave behind. As we move forward in life, we can only carry so much, so we have to let go of the things weighing us down to take on what promises to propel us forward.

This spread tells you what the universe needs you to let go of and leave in the past and what you should focus on to move forward, healthily and positively.

How to do this two-card Oracle spread

Just like last time, give your deck a good shuffle and split it into three equal piles.
Fan out your cards from your chosen pile, and don’t forget to really tap into that intuitive pull and guidance.
Next, ask the cards “What is moving out of the way?” and choose whichever card you feel drawn to the most.
Ask the cards “What is coming into view?” and again, choose the card that you feel the strongest pull towards.

Whatever card one is telling you is what is currently on its way out of your life. This could be a mindset, a general theme or something more specific to you. Card two is what card one is making room for.

Release And Focus Three Card Oracle Card Spread

We can combine the first two oracle spreads in order to create a well-rounded and effective oracle spread. This three-card spread helps us to receive the main message the universe wants us to know and work on. It then goes on to tell us what we have to release in order to reach that goal and what we need to remember or focus on, in order to fully embrace this universal message.

How to do this spread

Like we’ve done for the others, shuffle and split your deck into three piles. Intuitively choose the pile you are most drawn to.
Fan out your chosen pile and ask the cards “What message does the universe have for me?” and choose your card for position one.
Next, ask the cards “What do I need to release?” and choose your second card.
Finally, ask the cards “What do I need to focus on?” and choose your third card.

The message from the universe card gives us an anchor. This is so when you approach the “What needs to be released” card you’re not as defensive and you’re more open to the reasoning behind why it needs to be released and the goodness that it will offer you.

What Oracle Cards to Choose?

There are lots of oracle cards to choose from and it depends on how much experience you have with them, which will determine the ones that are best for you. Remember to also think about which illustrations connect with you the most. Art speaks to us and can connect with our emotions better than any other medium, so the illustrations of your oracle cards are very important.

I really love the oracle decks created by Rebecca Campbell and artist Danielle Noel. These cards are not only beautifully illustrated, containing a huge amount of divine feminine energy, but also have a way of helping you visualise and process your subconscious thoughts.

The messages on these oracle cards are also very detailed and easy to understand and really help to deliver those universal messages to our conscious minds. The same can be said for decks like the Moonology deck by Yasmin Boland. It depends on what themes you are drawn to and what you want to use your Oracle Cards for.

If you’re looking for more guidance on using your Oracle Cards in a more practical and hands-on way, make sure to grab one of my ‘Tarot For…’ workbooks, all of which can be used with either Tarot or Oracle cards.