1. Provide Yes/No responses and answers to queries. This is similar to muscle testing or applied kinesiology.
2. Provide more accurate answers to queries, such as degree, intensity or percentage.

There are commercial pendulums available on the market. Usually they can be bought from shops dealing with metaphysical or new age stuffs. However these shops are quite scarce and can be quite hard to find. Alternatively, pendulums can be ordered online through websites selling them.

This article is about making a do-it-yourself (D-I-Y) pendulum for dowsing. If you want to save some money or commercial pendulums are not available for you, you can opt to make one yourself.

Actually, to make a pendulum is not that difficult. We can always find substitutes for the various parts of a commercially-manufactured pendulum. The parts that need to be substituted are:

1. The bob which is the weight at the lower end of a pendulum.
2. The chain which connects the hand to the pendulum bob.

For the pendulum bob, we can use any reasonably weighted object. I personally, use arrow shaped pendants. In fact, the smaller-sized fishing weights can also be used. Although, I much prefer some pendants over fishing weights as they are more visually attractive than the latter. Pendants can be bought from fashion accessory stores. As for fishing weights, they can be found in large departmental stores as well as shops selling fishing equipments.


For the chain, they can be acquired from fashion accessory shops that sell necklaces and chains. Metal ones are preferred. The length of the chain should not be more than a foot. In my opinion, 1/2 to 3/4 of a foot is quite ideal.

Once we have the parts, all we need is to assemble them. At the tip of the pendant or fishing weight is usually a loop or ring. We need to hook one end of the chain through the ring (or loop) at the tip of the pendulum bob (which is either a pendant or fishing weight).

Normally, most chains are made up of many little metallic rings. To assemble the pendulum, we may need to pry open one of the metallic rings (at one end of the chain) and insert the loop/ring of the pendulum bob through it. After that, we will need to re-adjust the metallic ring (on the chain) back to its original closed-looped position. A long-nose plier is most suitable for doing these fine handiworks.

That’s all to making a pendulum for dowsing. Quite simple, isn’t it!

I hope this article is useful. Happy pendulum making.