When to use a Pendulum Chart

When you're starting out with a pendulum, it can seem overwhelming. Here's an easy guide of when to use a pendulum chart or not.

Pendulum charts are amazing tools to use and should be utilized! But when and how often? I think it’s important to get to know the energy of your pendulum first before holding it above a chart or grid. A lot of people rely on using a chart, and that’s completely fine. But you have to know the pendulum first!

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On Instagram the other day, I saw a post about someone having a hard time getting their pendulum to move. It was their first time using a pendulum ever, and they were trying to use a pendulum grid. It was a really pretty, cloth grid with yes/no printed on it. But they were saying it was really difficult to get the to pendulum swing. This led me to ask “Have you tried just holding [the pendulum] over your other hand and allowing it to show you it’s potential energy?” And this person had not. They had not connected to their pendulum and were trying to immediately use it to answer questions over a board.

If you’ve never used a pendulum before, I suggest reading this article first: Pendulums 101, and How to Ask your Pendulum Questions. If you can’t get your pendulum to move at all, this is a helpful article for getting your pendulum to move: When your Pendulum isn’t Working.

That led me to think it’s important to talk about when to use a pendulum chart, or when to let it hover above your hand or other a chart. This will be split up into when to just hold the pendulum over your opposite hand, using a pendulum chart, or neither!

Holding the Pendulum Above Your Hand

There are a few different times when it’s easier to hold the pendulum directly above your hand, rather than over a chart. Those include:

  • Yes/no questions
  • Feeling energies
  • When you don’t have a grid

Yes/No Questions

Personally, I have never used a pendulum chart for yes or no questions. I feel I can gain a lot more energy and “attitude” from my pendulum when I hold it up over my hand, rather than over anything else.

Most pendulum boards specifically have yes as top to bottom and no as side to side. So the argument for could be that it’s easy to know which answer your pendulum is giving you.

BUT it’s just as easy to ask your pendulum to show you which direction it will move for yes and no as it is to train your pendulum to move yes/no. It seems a lot more connected to you personally, when asking it because the “base” of the connection with your pendulum isn’t a paper or cloth, it’s your opposite hand. So the energy is flowing all around.

It can also be easier to notice which direction the pendulum is moving if it’s really minute movement.

A pendulum grid is a great divination tool..but when should you use it?
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Feeling Energies

By feeling energies, I mean trying to clean energies, or just getting in touch with yourself. This is a connecting exercise with your pendulum, or it can be meditative. This you would want to have the pendulum held above your hand, to have a rounded connection of energy.

When You Don’t Have a Chart

This one is really simple – use your hand when you don’t have a chart/grid. It’s a little more difficult, but it is an option. For letters, instead of asking your pendulum to point to the correct one, just ask “is it A, B…”? Until you have the letters. That’s a way to use your hand instead of a pendulum chart for more detailed answers.

When to use a Pendulum Grid

There are definitely times when it’s helpful to use a pendulum chart. I just don’t think it’s good to be dependent on them for an answer from your pendulum. Some of these times include:

my rune journal

  • Determining words
  • Figuring out a number
  • The date something occurred
  • Any questions with more than 2 options

Using a Chart for Numbers, Letters, and Dates

There are charts specifically with these intentions in mind. It’s a lot easier to use a chart with letters (like the image below) than asking about each individual letter, like in finding out your spiritual guides. Same with numbers; it can be simpler to ask the pendulum to point to a number for you for a specific date or number of something than with counting it out, asking about each number. Or for interviewing your pendulum when there are multiple words to be asked about, a pendulum chart is a great tool. This way, your pendulum can simply point to the number. This one is a pendulum mat that has both numbers, days of the week, and astrology signs.

pendulum chart/grid with the alphabet
Get a pendulum chart like this here!

When There are More Than 2 Options

You could set your hand to have 5 options, by setting each finger as an option (like making a decision about the movie to watch). Or you can make a chart. In this case, it can be easier to make your own pendulum chart. It’s simple to make with a piece of plastic or a whiteboard and marker, or chalkboard/chalk. Or just paper and pen if you want to keep it for awhile! You can see an example of a chart I made for food sensitivity testing with a pendulum. Originally, it was on a piece of hard plastic written with markers, but this updated one can be printed out.

When to use Neither

This one is sort of a trick category! In this case, you would be holding the pendulum over an object. This could be for choosing your daily crystals, picking out tarot cards for a tarot reading, or checking chakras of yourself or someone else.

With these, it doesn’t necessarily make sense to use either a pendulum chart hold the pendulum over your hand. It makes more sense to move your pendulum to the object in question!


Pendulums are awesome at answering your questions. But when do you use a pendulum chart?
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Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not to use a pendulum chart or let the pendulum hover over your opposite hand. I do think it’s a lot easier to connect to a pendulum if you’re not trying to add another factor into the mix, at least at the very beginning. It also depends on what you think you’ll primarily do. If it’s mostly working with yes/no questions, you probably don’t need to use a chart.

Let me know your thoughts on Instagram @moonofgemini!