Green and pink unakite, about 1.5 to 2.5 inches. Easy to hold steady.
A friendly 101
Pendulums & Runes
A stone on a chain and a bag of letters. Both are great at asking questions.
Crystal pendulums, rune sets and quick guides for your first yes-or-no question.
How do you want to feel?
Starter picks
Not sure where to start?
Three easy first picks from our shelves.
The basics
So... what are these?
A pendulum is a small weight on a chain. Ask a yes-or-no question and watch which way it swings. It's a cousin of dowsing, which German miners used to hunt for ore in the 1500s.
Runes are letters. The Elder Futhark is a 24-letter alphabet that Germanic and Norse peoples carved into wood and stone from around the 2nd century.
Pulling runes for reflection is mostly a modern habit, popular since the 1980s.
Choosing
How to pick yours
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Pendulum or runes?
Want quick yes-or-no answers? Pendulum. Want a word to think about for the day? Runes.
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Feel the weight
A pendulum with a little heft swings steadier.
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Pick the stone you like
Choose the colour you keep looking at.
Using it
Your first 60 seconds
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Find your yes
Hold the chain between finger and thumb. Ask "Show me yes" and watch the swing. Then ask for no.
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Ask something simple
Keep it light, like "Is today a good day to call Mom?"
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Or pull one rune
Think of a question, pull one rune from the bag, and look up its meaning. Notice what comes to mind.
Learn it in 10 minutes
A short, friendly cheat sheet to keep next to your new thing. Print or PDF.
Starter kit
Pendulum Starter Kit
A pendulum plus the guide that shows you how to ask your first question.
Good questions
Questions people ask us
Is the pendulum moving by magic?
Your hand makes tiny moves you don't notice. Many people see it as a way to hear what they already feel.
Are runes Viking?
Partly. The 24-rune Elder Futhark is older than the Vikings. Viking Age carvers used a shorter 16-rune version.
What if it doesn't swing?
Relax your arm and rest your elbow on a table. Give it a few tries.
What can't a pendulum answer?
Big health, money or legal decisions belong with real experts. Keep it for gentle, everyday questions.
Wander a little
