Dowsing Magic: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sometimes simple magic works the best. One of the forms of magic I often enjoy is dowsing with a pendulum. Using a pendulum is one of the most basic yet satisfying magic rituals, plus dowsing magic is really easy to learn.

If you need answers, and who doesn't these days, try a quickie dowsing sessions with a pendulum. Whether you want to know if your brother-in-law is going to get drunk again this weekend or if you're going to meet your soul-mate, pendulums can give you fast and solid answers for yes/no questions you might have about any aspect of your life.

What is a Pendulum?
A pendulum is any lightweight object suspended from a string or chain. It is a magical tool that becomes a natural extension of you, and can access any and all information that exists in the Universe. You just have to know which questions to ask.

For instance, a pendulum can reveal your body's own native wisdom. It can indicate whether certain supplements or flower essences will improve your health. It can also reveal whether a health problem stems from a particular organ or an emotional source. Dowsing with a pendulum is a simple form of magic that has a remarkable number of applications.

How to Make a Pendulum
Anyone can make a pendulum. You just need a lightweight object plus a chain or some string. You can use paper clips, small rocks, earrings, hairpins, pendants, small medallions, crystals and talismans. If you want to use a crystal, use an amethyst, and store any kind of crystal you use in a pewter box, which protects it from negative energy. Don't use Aurora crystals, which have been treated with petroleum.

If you choose to hang your pendulum on a chain, use a silver chain. You can also hang your pendulum on any kind of natural fiber such as cotton or silk, horse or human hair or leather.

Training Your Pendulum for Dowsing Magic
Once you've made your pendulum your next step is to train it for dowsing magic, so that it answers your questions quickly and accurately. Here's how:

1. First four-element cleanse your pendulum with smoke. The smoke from burning pine resin and sage works well.

2. Next, key your pendulum so that it responds to your energies. To key it, hold your pendulum in your dominant hand (the hand you write or point with). Flow energy into the pendulum for a minute or two, or until it grows warm and tingly.

3. Begin training your pendulum by establishing its yes and no directions. Decide if you want your pendulum to indicate "yes" with a vertical or horizontal swing. The "no" indicator will be the opposite of the "yes" indicator (if "yes" is a vertical swing, then "no" is a horizontal swing).

It's often easier to dowse while sitting, so get in a comfortable position and hold your pendulum suspended from your dominant hand. Make sure the pendulum is on a long enough chain or string to swing freely. Rest your elbow on a table or your knee to stabilize your hand.

Swing your pendulum in a gentle clockwise circle and tell it, "Show me yes." Wait for the pendulum to settle into the proper swing (whatever direction you chose). If it doesn't, ask again.

Once your pendulum consistently swings in the proper direction for "yes," use the same process to ask it to show you the proper swing for "no."

4. Finally, start training your pendulum to give you actual answers by practicing asking questions about short futures. Ask yes/no questions that can be verified in a 15 to 30 minute time frame. For instance, at the end of the work day you might ask your pendulum, "Will my roommate be home in the next 20 minutes?" Verify the correctness of your pendulum's answer, and then ask another question.

It actually doesn't matter whether your pendulum gives you the correct answer or not. It's more important to give your pendulum a lot of practice with dowsing magic. The more your work with your pendulum, the more accurate it will become. Don't get obsessed with the "rightness" of the answers during this training period.

Asking the Right Questions
At this stage, your pendulum can answer any yes/no question. How you phrase your questions will determine the accuracy of the answers. The general principle for asking questions in dowsing magic, as in spell work, is, "Be precise!"

For instance, if you ask your pendulum, "Will it rain today?" and your pendulum says, "Yes," don't be surprised if you don't see a drop of rain that day. Was your pendulum wrong? No. It probably rained somewhere in the world that day. Since you didn't ask for a precise location, your pendulum could not give you a precise answer.

As with everything else, practice makes perfect when it comes to dowsing magic. To remind yourself to practice, take your pendulum with you in your pocket or purse (wrapped in a piece of silk or in a small pouch) and use it any time you have a few minutes to yourself. You'll be surprised at how many opportunities you will have to use it!

Hope you enjoyed this step-by-step guide on making a pendulum and dowsing magic! You can create your own pendulum or if you prefer to buy one already made, check out the selection offered in our school store.


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Daily Magic for Everyday People

Can everyday people do magic or do you have to be descended from some line of witches and wizards to do magic? Balderdash! Anyone who wants can do magic. Magic is, in fact, the birthright of every planetary citizen, and that means you! If you're new to magic or you want to learn more about the magical arts, one of the best ways to get started is to do daily magic. Daily magic is the practice of simple rituals everyday to enhance your life. It can easily become a part of your daily routine, like doing yoga or drinking coffee.

Here are three simple rituals to get you started on your daily magic practice.

** 1. Need Some Info? Ask Owl! **
If you need some information in your life that you can't find on Google, such as some spiritual insight, you might check in with the Spirit of Owl. The Owl totem has all of the best qualities of physical owls: they can see extremely well, can hear extremely well, can turn their heads 180 (eyes in the back of their heads), are wise and are excellent hunters. If you need someone to hunt down some information for you, Owl is the one to turn to. Here's how you work with Owl in doing daily magic.

- Say aloud or in your mind, "Spirit of Owl, I request your help."

- Wait a few moments until you feel the presence of Owl (no more than a few seconds).

- State your request. For instance, if you need help seeing what's causing the relationship issues in your life, you might say, "Owl, please come with me today and show me what is causing these accidents in my life. Please show me in a way that I can clearly understand. Thank you in advance for your help." As always, when you ask for spiritual help appreciation is important.

- Stay open to what Owl will show you. Owl may bring up old memories, send you a phrase from the mouth of a stranger, or bring a chance meeting with another person. Owl will use any and every device to help you see. The more you contact Owl in your daily magic practice the faster these insights will come.

** 2. Need Energy? Burn a Sun Candle. **
One of the easiest daily magic techniques is the use of the Sun Candle. Create your own energy source by burning Sun Candles as often as you can. Carve a sun face into a candle and burn it, or just buy a bright sun yellow candle. Did you know that the color sun yellow (bright yellow with no orange) actually nourishes and refreshes your Spirit? If you're feeling groggy, grumpy or grouchy, sit in front of a lit sun yellow candle for a few minutes. It will refresh you and give you happy, joyful energy. Be sure to light the candle with paper or wooden matches since cigarette lighters have butane, which causes unwanted side effects.

** 3. Swing Your Worries Away **
Sometimes a little action is called for in your daily magic practice. If you're in a sticky situation and you can't find an exit, use your pendulum to clear the air. Find a quiet place and sit in the south facing north. Focus on the situation you want to clear and begin swinging your pendulum in a clockwise direction. Allow the pendulum to continue swinging until it stops naturally - it will stop swinging your situation has cleared. Then see what changes now that the situation has been cleared by your pendulum.

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Magick to the Rescue Part 1: Breaking Down Brick Walls

Does it sometimes seem like no matter how hard you try to achieve some goal in your life, that you keep bashing your head into a brick wall? If so, then you know how frustrating it is to throw every ounce of energy into creating something or achieving something, only to run into a seemingly insurmountable obstacle at every turn.

Don't worry. You are in good company. The "brick wall syndrome" has happened to almost everyone on the planet. Just look around you and you'll see a bunch of people with bashed in heads and headaches that won't go away.

Luckily, for those who stop banging on that brick wall long enough to consider their options, there is always a wonderful solution: solve the problem at a higher level.

Albert Einstein was right when he said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."

What's that higher level? Magick is certainly one of the easiest ways to solve your brick wall problem from a higher level.

Using Magick to Break Down Brick Walls
There is a simple three step magickal ritual outlined in the following section that will help you understand the nature of your brick wall, and also help you break through that wall (or at least go around the brick wall, which may be a smarter option!). For this ritual, you will need a cold cup of black coffee, a journal and pen, a hematite or Apache Tear stone, and a pendulum (which can be purchased online or in stores that sell magickal items).

Step #1: Release Your Frustration
Nothing clouds your judgment like frustration. If you have been beating your head against your personal brick wall for a while then chances are good that you feel frustrated every time you think about the brick wall problem. So the first thing to do is to clear yourself on all levels of that frustration. The easiest magickal way to do this is to flow your frustration into a magickal stone. The stones that most easily pull negative energies out of your chakras, energy field, mind, body, and Spirit are hematite and Apache tears (a form of obsidian). You can find both of these easily online or in any good rock shop.

Choose your stone carefully. Pick one that sits easily in your hand and has enough heft to feel significant. At the same time, you want to choose your stone so that it is small and light enough to carry with you in your pocket. Some online stores sell these stones attached to a chain, so you can easily wear it around your neck under your shirt.

Once you have your stone, find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Hold the stone in your dominant hand (the hand with which you write or point). Now think about and feel every negative aspect of your "brick wall problem." As these thoughts and emotions and physical sensations arise in you, flow those into the stone. Since these stones are magnetized to pull energy, you don't need to think about the process of flowing those energies into the stone. Just allow those negative energies to travel down your arm and into the stone. Keep flowing those energies into the stone without allowing your mind to interfere with stray thoughts. When the stone feels heavy, hot, charged, or otherwise energized, you have flowed enough negative energies into the stone for the moment.

For the next seven days, flow energies into the stone at least once a day. Also flow energies into the stone whenever you feel frustrated. Keeping the stone in your pocket is a good idea so that you can unobtrusively flow energies into the stone simply by sticking your hand in your pocket and holding the stone. With this method you can flow negative energies into the stone anywhere and anytime in public without anyone being the wiser. People who practice this technique become so proficient at it that they can flow negative energies even when conversing with another person. This can be a useful skill when you are talking to a person who is part of your "brick wall syndrome" since that person is likely to be a source of frustration.

Once you have practiced this technique consistently for seven days, move on to the next step. However, keep the stone with you at all times, and continue to flow energy into the stone whenever you experience negative energies. These stones channel the energies into the half worlds so you don't have to worry about the stone becoming too full of negative energies. Some people like to change to a fresh stone every lunar cycle or so. If you choose to change to a new stone every lunar cycle, bury the old stone in your garden for a full moon cycle. This allows the earth to cleanse the stone so it will be ready to use again after one moon cycle.

Step #2: Discover the Root of the Problem
Now that you have cleared yourself on all levels of negative energy, the next step is to discover the root of the "brick wall" problem. One of the easiest ways to discover the root of any problem is by using the magickal technique of scrying. While there are many complex magickal rituals for scyring, by far the easiest method involves using a cup of cold black coffee. Simply make some coffee (any kind will do -- filtered or instant) and wait for the coffee to cool down to room temperature. Put the coffee in any cup or mug that suits.

Once your cup of coffee has cooled down to room temperature, sit in the South facing North with the cup of coffee in front of you. If you are unsure of the cardinal directions, use a compass outside to figure out the directions. Do not use the compass inside as most houses tend to have too many electrical and magnetic energies that can distort a compass reading. Once you are sure of the directions, seat yourself in the South facing North with the cup of coffee in front of you. You may want to set the cup of coffee on a small stool or table to keep the surface calm and quiet. Be sure you will not be disturbed for at least 30 minutes since scrying requires concentration and a quiet space.

Once you are comfortably settled, gently place both hands around the cup of coffee. Flow some energy from your dominant hand through the cup of coffee into your non-dominant hand. Continue to flow that energy up the arm and shoulder of your non-dominant hand, then across your back, then down the arm of your dominant hand. Keep flowing energies in this circle for a minute or so until the coffee cup feels charged or energized. You are now ready to scry.

Scrying is nothing more than asking the Universe to provide you with the information you seek. Since you are asking for information that pertains to you personally, there is no need to worry that you are invading anyone else's privacy. Before you begin, you may wish to invite angels, spiritual guides, or other higher beings to help. Or simply ask the Universe to provide answers. Thank all beings or the Universe for the help they are about to provide before you begin scrying.

To obtain information about the root of your problem, calmly and quietly look into the surface of the coffee. Softly unfocus your eyes while still looking into the surface of the coffee. Next become very curious about the roadblock that keeps getting in your way. Allow questions about the brick wall to float softly through your mind as you continue to look into the coffee cup. Ask questions such as:

• What is at the root of this brick wall?
• What could help me get over or around this problem?
• What am I not seeing that is preventing me from moving forward?
• Is there a reason I should not take this path? Could the brick wall be a sign that another path is better for me?
• What thoughts or beliefs are keeping me from moving forward?

Use the questions that come naturally. The list of questions above are generic. You may want to use these questions in addition to queries that are specific to your problem. Keep asking these questions softly in your mind, allowing your eyes to remain unfocused and allowing answers to drift into your consciousness.

Be prepared for answers to arrive in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes you will see images from your past. Other times you will experience feelings and sensations that call up memories. You may also receive short phrases, images, ideas, physical jolts, or long strings of information. Do not worry about writing these down. This information will remain in your consciousness long after you stop scrying.

Once you have enough information--or the flow of information stops--thank the spirit beings, guides, angels, or the Universe for the information that you have received. Now take the time to jot down all the information you received. Don't worry if the information doesn't make sense right now. You will find that the pieces of information you received will form a cohesive picture in the days to come. If the information makes sense to you, move on to the next magickal ritual. If the bits of information are not clear to you, simply read the notes you jotted down each day and ask a higher being to help you clarify the information you received (always thanking them in advance for the help you are about to receive). Keep asking for help and guidance. Within seven days you should have clarity about the root of your problem. Thank the higher beings for their help and move on to the last step.

Step #3: Unwind Your Problem
This last step is one of the most carefree and fun magickal rituals that you can do. You will need a pendulum for this step. You can easily purchase one online or in most stores that sell spiritual or magickal items. Once you have your pendulum, hold it in your dominant hand and flow energy into it. When the pendulum feels charged, then you can use it to perform this last step in your ritual.

Hold the pendulum in your dominant hand and begin spinning it in a counter-clockwise direction. Now invite higher beings to help you unwind the root of your problem. As you spin the pendulum, see it unwinding the root of your problem so that you can move forward on your journey. If the problem is with a co-worker at your job, see the disharmony between you and your co-worker unwind and dissipate. If the root of your problem is an old belief system or habit, see the pendulum unwinding those beliefs and watch those beliefs float away. If the root of your problem is that you are taking the wrong path, which means the brick wall was put up to prevent you from walking this path, see the pendulum unwinding your desire to walk this path. Whatever your problem, the pendulum has the power to unwind it.

Once you have clearly unwound your problem (you will know when the problem is unwound when you see the problem melt or float away), stop swinging the pendulum. Now begin to swing the pendulum in a clockwise direction. Ask higher beings to help you use the force generated by the pendulum to move you forward on your path. This forward progress might take you through or around the brick wall, or it may take you on a completely separate journey. See the force of the pendulum taking you where you want to go. When you feel that the force of the pendulum has moved you from "stuck" to "striding forth," stop swinging the pendulum.

Wash, Rinse, and Repeat
Feel free to use any or all of the three steps of this magickal ritual anytime you feel that you are running into a brick wall--either the same brick wall or a new one. Just as you may need to use your chosen magickal stone to rid yourself of frustration, you may also need to use scrying and the pendulum to learn more about your path and the blockages that exist. This ritual is a very useful one to have in your magickal toolkit because it can help you learn about, understand, and solve just about any brick wall that appears on your journey through life!

Be sure to follow the rest of this 7 part series as it comes out on our blog  over the next few weeks or even better subscribe to the blog to get the articles posted there direct to your email. You'll also find a variety of pendulums, journals, and other magical necessities in our online magic store at www.shamanschool.com.

A Simple Magical Ritual to Unwind Problems

Magic can play a big role in your everyday life and you can get rid of a variety of life problems with a simple magical ritual using the pendulum. The pendulum is a great magical tool that can be used for dowsing, divination, diagnosing health concerns and with many other magic techniques. You can buy a pendulum online or at a new age store or you can make your own pendulum with a string or chain and a small rock or other small object like a paperclip. Get your pendulum ready and the next time you have a problem or snag in your life, use it to unwind that problem and magically clear it from your life. Here's how.

Clearing With the Pendulum
1. Hold the string or chain of the pendulum in your dominant hand (hand you naturally point with), let your pendulum hang loose.

2. Visualize the problem that you would like to clear.

3. Holding this visual of the problem in your mind, ask the pendulum if this is a situation that you should and can clear.

4. If the answer is yes, continue with the clearing. If the answer is no, stop the procedure.

5. Start the pendulum swinging in a counter-clockwise direction, asking the pendulum to clear the problem, and visualize the problem resolving. Be specific in what you ask the pendulum to do and specific in your visualization of the problem resolving.

6. Continue focusing on the problem's resolution and clearing it until the pendulum stops spinning in a counter-clockwise direction. If the pendulum stops spinning, begins to move in a horizontal or vertical direction or starts spinning clockwise the problem is cleared.

Of course, since you have free will you can always choose to let the problem back into your mind and your life. To keep the problem cleared, find something else to focus on when it pops into your mind and perform the clearing more than once if you need to. This is a great technique to use with negative and repetitive thoughts too. This is just one of the simple magical techniques you can learn how to do in our Psychic Development ebook. Let magic change your life and change the way you deal with life problems.

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Step 2 on the Magical Path: Magical Tools

Ever wanted to learn how to really use the Firebowl, Wand, Athame, Chalice, and Plate? Then Basic Magic 2 is for you. This 10-lesson course covers the basics of each of these magical tools, from choosing or making the perfect tool to personalizing, using, and storing that tool. The information is simple yet effective, and builds on the knowledge from Basic Magic Part 1, which covers the four magical elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Once the use of the four elements is mastered with hand magic, magical tools can be used to extend our "reach," since they can handle more energies than we can handle with our hands. Each of the four magical elements has its own corresponding tool, as follows:

• Air element = Wand
• Fire element = Athame
• Water element = Chalice
• Earth element = Plate

By using magical tools, magical practitioners can affect situations on many levels, ranging from the personal level to the global level. For example, it is easy enough to put up a personal shield around your body with your hands, but for a larger shield such as around your entire property, a magical tool such as the Wand or Athame makes the job much easier. Along with the magical tools associated with each element there are other useful tools such as the Firebowl, pendulum, dowsing rods, sun crystal, tarot cards and more that are needed for such magical techniques as spellwork and divination.

Some of your magical tools you will be able to make yourself like the Wand and Firebowl and others such as the Athame and Chalice you will need to select and purchase. The pendulum is one of your magical tools that you can choose to buy or that you can make yourself. In the Basic Magic 2 course you will not only learn what tools to get or make and techniques to use them for, but also how to turn simple things such as a cup or plate into magical tools. This is done by keying, charging and/or training the tools. In the case of the pendulum, here is an exercise you can try out to make a pendulum yourself and then train it for magical use.

Making a Pendulum
To make a pendulum you will need a lightweight object and a chain or some type of string to hang it from. You can use a paper clip, small rock, earring, pendant, small medallion, crystal, talisman or other similar small object. If you use a crystal, use an amethyst, and store it in a pewter box to protect it from negative energy. Don't use Aurora crystals, which have been treated with petroleum. If you hang your pendulum on a chain, use a silver chain as it is more stable energetically. You can also hang your pendulum on any kind of natural fiber such as cotton or silk, horse or human hair or leather. Make sure the pendulum is on a long enough chain or string to swing freely.

Training Your Pendulum
Once you've made your pendulum your next step is to train it so that it answers your questions quickly and accurately. Here's how:
1. First cleanse your pendulum with smoke. The smoke from burning pine resin and sage works well. Just hold the pendulum over a column of smoke from your firebowl until the smoke begins to "stick" to it.

2. Next, your pendulum needs to be keyed so that it responds to your energies. To key it, hold your pendulum in your dominant hand (the hand you write or point with). Flow energy into the pendulum for a minute or two, or until it grows warm and tingly.

3. Begin training your pendulum by establishing its yes and no directions. Decide if you want your pendulum to indicate "yes" with a vertical or horizontal swing. The "no" indicator will be the opposite of the "yes" indicator (if "yes" is a vertical swing, then "no" is a horizontal swing). Hold your pendulum suspended from your dominant hand. Rest your elbow on a table or your knee to stabilize your hand and swing your pendulum in a gentle clockwise circle telling it, "Show me yes." Wait for the pendulum to settle into the proper swing (whatever direction you chose). If it doesn't, ask again. Once your pendulum consistently swings in the proper direction for "yes," use the same process to ask it to show you the proper swing for "no."

4. Now you are ready to start training your pendulum to give you actual answers by practicing asking questions about short futures. Ask yes/no questions that can be verified in a 15 to 30 minute time frame. For instance, at the end of the work day you might ask your pendulum, "Will my roommate be home in the next 20 minutes?" Verify the correctness of your pendulum's answer, and then ask another question. In the beginning, it doesn't matter whether your pendulum gives you the correct answer or not, this is just the practice period and giving your pendulum a lot of practice is the important thing right now. The more your work with your pendulum, the more accurate it will become. Don't get obsessed with the "rightness" of the answers during this training period.

Try making your own pendulum and practicing with it. Then when you are ready to move on to other magical tools, the Basic Magic 2 course is waiting for you online to take in your own time on your own schedule.

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How to Figure Out If Your Magic Spell Will Work

This may seem like a "Well, duh!" title but you would be surprised at the number of people who write and launch magic spells without first figuring out whether the spell will work. My question to those folks? Why go to all the trouble to do a spell when you don't even know if it will work? It seems like a waste of time and energy.

The good news is that a little divination is all you need to figure out whether your magic spell will be effective. The type of divination you use should depend on the size and complexity of the spell you want to launch. Here are three types of divination that you can use to predict the effectiveness of your spell, listed from simplest to most complex:

1. Pendulum
2. Question Circle
3. Tarot Reading

Pendulum
For simple magic spells, you can use your pendulum to do simple "Yes/No" testing on whether your spell will be effective. You can also use your pendulum with a 1-10 scale and ask it to tell you the level of effectiveness of your spell for solving your problem. To do this, you will need to swing your pendulum over a sheet of paper with 1-10 arranged in a circle. Be sure to be clear whether 10 means least effective or most effective. Ask your pendulum to rate the effectiveness of the spell and then decide whether the spell is worth your effort.

Question Circle
With a question circle you can ask the Winds of the four directions about the effectiveness of your spell. There are a lot of ways to do question circle, but here are the basic steps:

1. Cleanse the area by smudging or using some other method
2. Formulate the question you will ask each direction, such as, "How effective will this spell be and what can I do to make it more effective?"
3. Starting in the east, go to that direction and sit facing the direction. Ask the question out loud and have pen and paper ready to record the results.

Each direction will give you a different kind of answer. The east will give you thoughts, ideas, and ways to improve the lines of communication in your spell. The south will give you action steps and ways to increase the power of your spell. The west will tell you about feelings, emotions, and spiritual insight. The north will offer answers regarding the strength and perseverance of your magic spell. Using these answers you can improve your spell before launching it.

Tarot Reading
For the most complex spells a series of tarot readings always helps you determine the exact effect of your magic spell. Tarot readings, especially 12-card types, will show cause-effect flow lines. You will be able to determine exactly how the spell will work (i.e., which part of your situation will be most affected and how) and how effective it will be. If a cause-effect flow line in the reading shows very little change or a lot of resistance that cannot be overcome, you will need to change your spell to address these issues. Tarot readings are best for single and multiple candle spells that handle many complex issues. I also recommend that you do tarot readings on any symbols, chants, or litanies you are going to use in your spell.

For most spells simple divination will do the trick. A little extra planning and guidance before you launch your spell can save you the hassle of having to take down a good spell that has gone bad and prevent you from wasting your time on a spell that won't work. Good luck!