There are many devices that can be used to predict your future. The playing cards that we use today are actually derived from the tarot deck. There are many forms of divination: runes, I Ching, Tarot, astrology, numerology, Scrying, ( crystal ball gazing), tea leaves, and Dowsing ( including, pendulums, water witches, spirit rods) just to name a few.

First off, I would like to discuss your choice of a form of divination, be it tarot cards or shoeboxes. The important thing to keep in mind is what you are drawn to. What do you enjoy working with? You may have been drawn to a friend's tarot deck that has been collecting dust on their shelves, or you may find yourself staring into your tea. Like the old song, "Now your just clouds in my coffee." This statement is not far from the truth we must keep in mind that these are merely tools, and we use them just as a mechanic or carpenter might. The mechanic still must use his mind to troubleshoot the problem with the automobile. The tools will not tell him that, but they assist him, much as a diagnostic machine would tell him that there is a bad oxygen sensor, yet he must still interpret the data. Just because a meter reads oxygen sensor does not mean that is the problem it could be a loose wire going to the oxygen sensor or the sensor may be clogged or the computer may not be properly reading the signal from the oxygen sensor.

Anyway, you get my point. The carpenter has his hammers and squares and tape measures, but the tools do not build the house, the carpenter does. Yet, without his tools, the carpenter cannot set about his tasks. This is an oversimplified analogy of divination, but I use it so that you will not be afraid of the tools of the trade so to speak. In addition, it is a good idea to understand how each of the tools works even if you don't use them. So that if you are having a conversation with someone who uses the tarot for instance you will know enough about it to be able to carry on a meaningful conversation. Familiarizing yourself with the tools of divination is also a good way to find one or two that you are comfortable with and wish to study further.

Due to space limitation, we cannot cover all of these subjects, and these are only a few. We are going to stick to a discussion on pendulums and spirit rods and their practical uses. Anyone who is interested in any of these other forms will find a wealth of information at your local spiritual bookstore. Or you may visit the Soul2Soul Bookstore. The larger chain bookstores, such as Borders and B. Dalton bookseller, have whole sections devoted to metaphysical subjects.

There are two basic types of dowsing that I practice--one is the rods. These are simply bent coat hangers. You can snip a coat hanger at the top where it bends into the twisted part, next bend that short section straight and then cut the coat hanger again at the next bend point along the part you would normally hang your pants. Make two the same size. Holding these loosely in your hands with the long part facing forward they have a variety of uses. You can detect the presence of spirits in your home or a haunted house. The rods will at first point towards the spirit and then as you get closer they will spread apart as you find the edges of the spirits aura. The important thing is to hold them as level as possible. I have found that a small section of 5/8th inch soft copper pipe available at your local hardware store helps immensely. Ask them to cut two pieces about six inches in length. Also ask them for inch faucet washers and see if they will fit in each end, some fitting may be necessary. I have found that the beveled washers work best. Simply insert the short end of your coat hangers into the holes in the faucet washers and through the pipe. The pipes make very comfortable handles and the washers act as additional electromagnetic insulators. Try and hold them as level as possible so that they are able to spin freely 360 degrees, at about eye level. You can also ask the rods yes and no questions; if they open wide that usually means a yes response. If they cross in front of you that usually means a no response. If they kind of malinger around and move but not really yes or not really no, that is usually a maybe or the question has not been decided, or it is up to you.

To give you an example, you might ask if Darlene will go to the dance with you. Spirit answers the direct question you ask. So the answer may be No or Maybe. The reason being you have not asked Darlene to go to the dance with you yet, so as it stands right now the answer couldn't possibly be yes, since you have not given her the opportunity to even think about it. Your spirit guides might be giggling thinking that is a silly question. No Darlene is not going to go to the dance with you, or maybe she will if you ask her. You must keep this simple premise in mind when using any of the yes/ no types of divination tools.

The pendulum, in my opinion, is a much simpler tool to use. Once I mastered it, I found that it is a lot easier to take the cross I have around my neck off and use it than it is to drag the spirit rods down, level them and then begin to ask a question. Also, it could be a bit awkward if your mailman happens to need your signature and you are standing in the living room with these two rods out in front of you. He might roll his eyes a bit and say, just sign here, sir or madame, walking away shaking his head a bit looking for your black cat and broomstick. The spirit rods are an indispensable tool, especially when trying to locate spirits in haunted houses. I have even used them to find the edge of a leach field once so the plumber could repair a plugged drain, much the way a dowser would use a willow branch to find water. This method is still in use today and was demonstrated when a friend of mine, who runs the crew of an engineering firm, could not find a water main that was not where it was supposed to be on the blueprints. After three days of digging, they finally called a dowser who charged them five hundred dollars for five minutes work. He quickly located the water main on the opposite side of the street that the blueprints plainly showed.

The pendulum can be used simply, and almost anywhere. You can use a piece of string and a paperclip. I have even used a nut on the end of twine. The key here is that the weight has to be heavy enough to stand still and not so heavy that it can not move about easily. Simply place your elbow on a firm surface, and hold the pendulum between your thumb and forefinger, being careful to let the weight stop swinging before you ask the question. Next, formulate a question that you already know the answer to, such as I might ask "is my name Bob?", knowing full well that it is Gregg. Wait for a few seconds and see what happens, being careful to hold the weight as still as possible. The two general directions of travel are forward meaning towards your heart and away and side to side, or shoulder to shoulder. For me, the side-to-side motion is no, much like if you were shaking your head back and forth to say no. My yes response is forward and backwards or towards my heart and away. This is not to say that that is a hard and fast rule; your responses may be the opposite. One thing you can be sure of though is that the making of small circles is either maybe or it is up to you. As you become more proficient at this method you will be able to read more into the information. For instance, I was asked in a reading, "Will my business be successful?" The pendulum started out to swing slowly and then the swing got very strong, almost tapping on the computer screen. I interpreted this to mean yes, the business will be successful, very successful, but it will start out slow before it builds momentum, then it may well grow better than your wildest dreams.

It takes practice and a bit of patience to master this simplest of the divining tools, yet I use it almost daily. I will give you an example. The brakes were not very good on my car some air had gotten into the lines and they were soft. In the morning, I asked if I would make it to school and back. The answer was no. Well, I didn't listen and I made it back and forth both ways. So was the pendulum wrong, no, heavens no. By telling me that I would not make it, I was much more cautious about my driving and gave everyone plenty of room between my car and the other cars. Also, when I thought about it, spirit would not advise me to take a ride in a dangerous car. Even if they saw me making it there is still the possibility of human error. They were probably thinking, "No, you moron, you are not going to be alright; you are driving a car with no brakes, and we up here will be on double triple alert until you get back home!" If they had told me yes, then maybe I would have been less cautious and had an accident. I would have been angry with my guides for misleading me. So you see, just as the mechanic must interpret the data, so must we. Spirit speaks in a very literal form of truth, spirit does not lie. They have no reason too, it will not further their careers, or help them get the big account, or the girl. Their job is more like that of a teacher or parent to guide and advise.

When you first start using this method, you may be a bit frustrated at the results. The pendulum may just sit there or the answers may not make any sense. When I first started using the yes no methods of divining, outlined here, I was very frustrated. It seemed like I had to answer an endless string of questions before I could get to a logical conclusion. This was mainly a product of asking the wrong questions, such as the one outlined earlier. Okay, so Darlene is not going to go to the dance with me and I am sad now. But, Darlene has been making eye contact and this answer does not make any sense. Besides I really, really, really want Darlene to go to the dance with me.
So now I have to think about it. I ask, "Is Darlene going to the dance with Bob?" I get no. Okay,so now I am really racking my brain and it is giving me a headache. So I throw the dumb necklace on the table and sit down to watch TV. Then I come back to it during the commercial and ask: "Is Darlene going to the dance with anybody?" I get no. Then I feel better, at least she is not going with that Bob, whom I despise or anyone else for that matter. Satisfied that nobody will be going with her, I sit back down to watch TV. Then, I want to know if she has another engagement, again the answer is no. Well, you already know the answer to the puzzle, and by this time think our hero is pretty silly for not seeing the answer as plain as day. You haven't asked her yet, silly. When our hero finally realizes this (smacking himself on the forehead) and asks the correct question: "If I ask Darlene to the dance this Saturday night will she go?" Eureka, the answer is yes.

One more word on dowsing: there are two schools of thought on the subject. One is that since you happen to like a certain form of divination your guides will then learn it, and learn how you interpret the data. In this manner they can try and communicate to you the best possible answer.

The second is that your subconscious controls the outcome, thereby giving you the answers that your conscious mind cannot find. Since I am a reader and I have been working with both the rods and the pendulum for over twenty years, (giving away my age here. Hey wait, can I take that back? It is more like two decades, Oh darn, let's just say, it has been a long time), I would rather believe the first. Especially since both my use of the tools and the interpretation of the data have improved over the years.

I wish you all good luck. If you have a subject you would like to see covered in a future article or just wish to drop me a line please feel free to do so.
Until we meet again, Arrivaderci.