The tools
You need very few, and they cost almost nothing. What matters is comfort: an object you hold without effort and that moves smoothly.
The pendulum
- Shape: sphere, teardrop, cone, spinning top or a simple nut. Pointed shapes (cone, teardrop) let you aim at a square on the board.
- Material: brass, wood, glass, stone, metal. No study has shown that one material gives better results than another.
- Weight: 10 to 50 g. Too light and it moves at the slightest breath; too heavy and it tires the wrist.
- Thread or chain: 10 to 20 cm. A fine thread that does not twist is the simplest.
The dowsing rods
- Two L-shaped rods: the simplest and the most common. You can make them in ten minutes (see the rods page).
- The forked Y branch: the old form, traditionally a hazel or willow twig, held by its two arms.
- The spring rod: a flexible rod weighted at the end, which swings as soon as the hand moves. It amplifies the slightest movement, that is all.
The boards
A semicircle (ours), a full circle, a simple yes/no chart, or a map to point at. The shape matters little: it simply gives squares where the pendulum can go.
What not to buy
"Energised" pendulums sold at a high price, devices that "harmonise" a house, "negative wave detectors", "protective" crystals. None has shown any effect. A pendulum that costs ten euros is as good as one that costs a hundred.