You have an interest in de-cluttering, but: Where to begin?! And: How to know what to let go of? Let me share with you my fun little secret. It's so easy and fun and feels a bit like playing with a Magic 8 Ball back when you were a kid! ;-) Only this tool is one you can make yourself, or probably even already have, in some fashion or another! It may be considered a woo-woo, new age, magical, witchy thing, but let me tell you: IT IS TOTALLY PRACTICAL!! and available to ANYONE!! :)
Have you guessed what it is, yet?
Have you guessed what it is, yet?
It's a pendulum! Now, I went and bought one of the new-agey ones at a store and it has a lovely amethyst bobber at the bottom and chakra-colored beads going up the chain, but that's not really necessary. No matter how you think it works: is it spirits? your higher self? a magic 'wind'? or simply your subconscious sending minute electrical impulses through your muscles from your subconscious? WHO CARES?! :) I'm here to tell you that it does work and that it's easy, fun, & useful.
AND, if you don't want to buy a fancy schmancy one, you absolutely don't have to. If you are wearing a necklace right now, that could work. Or the button on the end of a string could work! Any weight at the end of a flexible chain or string should do the trick (I've even made one from a long grass and a pinecone- but that's another story...). Once you have your pendulum worked out, then the fun begins! (And, yes- I promise we will get to the de-cluttering any moment now. And, Yes! It really is fun! At least, I think so.)
To begin, I like to hold the pendulum up with one hand so that it dangles over the other hand's palm. (The second hand is not really necessary, it's just a way to have a reference. If you don't feel comfortable with it, then don't do it that way! Hanging it into 'space' should work about the same. Please experiment to find out what works for you.) Now, the trick is to ask the pendulum to show you a 'yes' answer. Yes... I really did say 'ask the pendulum'. It may feel silly at first, but it's worth it in the end to have this handy tool in your toolbelt! :) So, you ask the pendulum to show you a 'yes' and soon you should see the pendulum move a certain way (if you remain relaxed and remain present). Then, you can ask it to show you a 'no'. Notice what happens. For me, it shows up just like nodding the head. Front-and-back is yes and side-to-side is no (though, results do vary- some people have the opposite or totally different responses! Trust what comes for you!). You may also want to have it 'show' you an 'i don't know' or 'i can't/won't answer that'. I have had these responses come up for me (it's good to ask ahead of time so you can understand a 'communication' when you get it!).
AND, if you don't want to buy a fancy schmancy one, you absolutely don't have to. If you are wearing a necklace right now, that could work. Or the button on the end of a string could work! Any weight at the end of a flexible chain or string should do the trick (I've even made one from a long grass and a pinecone- but that's another story...). Once you have your pendulum worked out, then the fun begins! (And, yes- I promise we will get to the de-cluttering any moment now. And, Yes! It really is fun! At least, I think so.)
To begin, I like to hold the pendulum up with one hand so that it dangles over the other hand's palm. (The second hand is not really necessary, it's just a way to have a reference. If you don't feel comfortable with it, then don't do it that way! Hanging it into 'space' should work about the same. Please experiment to find out what works for you.) Now, the trick is to ask the pendulum to show you a 'yes' answer. Yes... I really did say 'ask the pendulum'. It may feel silly at first, but it's worth it in the end to have this handy tool in your toolbelt! :) So, you ask the pendulum to show you a 'yes' and soon you should see the pendulum move a certain way (if you remain relaxed and remain present). Then, you can ask it to show you a 'no'. Notice what happens. For me, it shows up just like nodding the head. Front-and-back is yes and side-to-side is no (though, results do vary- some people have the opposite or totally different responses! Trust what comes for you!). You may also want to have it 'show' you an 'i don't know' or 'i can't/won't answer that'. I have had these responses come up for me (it's good to ask ahead of time so you can understand a 'communication' when you get it!).
Now, what the heck does this all have to do with de-cluttering?! Oh! Well, now that you are familiar with penduling (is that a verb? It is now!), you can use it for all sorts of things! For de-cluttering, I have mainly used it to help me clear out my bookshelves and downsize my clothing cache. Both of which have felt very good!
Here's how it went: First, I knew it was time to reduce my cookbook collection. So, how did I enlist the help of my little pendulum friend? I simply took each book, one at a time, and held the pendulum over it asking something to the effect of: "Will keeping this book support my highest expression moving forward?" Then, I waited for the answer. Most of the books it said yes to were my beloved favorites, and most of the ones it said no to were ones that I had come by somewhere along the way and sort of thought I should like/have/use, but mostly have not! It was difficult for me to make such fine distinctions with my logical mind, but once I used the pendulum to help me make a distinction, it was easy to see how accurate and appropriate the readings had been! (Now, some people may find pendulum use in this way redundant, as they may be very clear in their mind/about their feelings/etc. But, for me, this is a great help!) I believe there were even a few surprises, but after considering, I realized I was willing to let the book go!
I had a similar experience with my clothes. By the way, once it becomes a rhythm, you can pretty much forego the longer question (as long as you make it clear that it is still in effect- even if just in your mind), and move right into: "yes or no?" You can also just point to or say which item you are considering, rather than holding the pendulum right above it. Do whatever feels comfortable and makes sense for you. It seems like it takes time to do this process this way, but for me it saves time and energy in the long run (I didn't have to read through all of the books or try on any of the clothes, for example!). Plus, besides the time it saves not doing all of those extra in-depth steps of 'figuring out' what to keep or let go, I also feel that the job was more thorough and more effective in 'clearing out' the clutter (& the stagnant energy)! I will also say that there were a few items on which I disagreed with the pendulum! Well, not disagreed, exactly, but was not willing to let them go due to a sentimental attachment. So I kept them! I still get to decide, in the end. And, using the pendulum as a tool helps me to move through the items quickly and find out just which ones I DO have such a sticky attachment to. In fact, it might be worth doing some work around the attachment to find out more about it. For example, both of the items I kept from the clothing consideration session were hand-me-downs form my Mom! So, maybe there's nothing 'deep' there, maybe it just means I love my Momma (but, it might be worth looking into deeper meanings if you come across any sticky spots, yourself!)!
I hope that all makes sense and that you do attempt a few rounds with a pendulum! They are useful for many kinds of information gathering- I have even used them with some success in my astrology work! But, I was especially delighted with my results using one in this fashion and it seems like an easy, accessible tool that most anyone could benefit from, so I wanted to share it here. I'd love to hear how it goes for you and if you have any further questions about this process, please ask!
Happy penduling (there's that funny verb, again!)!
~Melanie
Here's how it went: First, I knew it was time to reduce my cookbook collection. So, how did I enlist the help of my little pendulum friend? I simply took each book, one at a time, and held the pendulum over it asking something to the effect of: "Will keeping this book support my highest expression moving forward?" Then, I waited for the answer. Most of the books it said yes to were my beloved favorites, and most of the ones it said no to were ones that I had come by somewhere along the way and sort of thought I should like/have/use, but mostly have not! It was difficult for me to make such fine distinctions with my logical mind, but once I used the pendulum to help me make a distinction, it was easy to see how accurate and appropriate the readings had been! (Now, some people may find pendulum use in this way redundant, as they may be very clear in their mind/about their feelings/etc. But, for me, this is a great help!) I believe there were even a few surprises, but after considering, I realized I was willing to let the book go!
I had a similar experience with my clothes. By the way, once it becomes a rhythm, you can pretty much forego the longer question (as long as you make it clear that it is still in effect- even if just in your mind), and move right into: "yes or no?" You can also just point to or say which item you are considering, rather than holding the pendulum right above it. Do whatever feels comfortable and makes sense for you. It seems like it takes time to do this process this way, but for me it saves time and energy in the long run (I didn't have to read through all of the books or try on any of the clothes, for example!). Plus, besides the time it saves not doing all of those extra in-depth steps of 'figuring out' what to keep or let go, I also feel that the job was more thorough and more effective in 'clearing out' the clutter (& the stagnant energy)! I will also say that there were a few items on which I disagreed with the pendulum! Well, not disagreed, exactly, but was not willing to let them go due to a sentimental attachment. So I kept them! I still get to decide, in the end. And, using the pendulum as a tool helps me to move through the items quickly and find out just which ones I DO have such a sticky attachment to. In fact, it might be worth doing some work around the attachment to find out more about it. For example, both of the items I kept from the clothing consideration session were hand-me-downs form my Mom! So, maybe there's nothing 'deep' there, maybe it just means I love my Momma (but, it might be worth looking into deeper meanings if you come across any sticky spots, yourself!)!
I hope that all makes sense and that you do attempt a few rounds with a pendulum! They are useful for many kinds of information gathering- I have even used them with some success in my astrology work! But, I was especially delighted with my results using one in this fashion and it seems like an easy, accessible tool that most anyone could benefit from, so I wanted to share it here. I'd love to hear how it goes for you and if you have any further questions about this process, please ask!
Happy penduling (there's that funny verb, again!)!
~Melanie
PS- if you live in or near Portland, OR and you would like some help with space clearing (energetic or otherwise) and de-cluttering, contact my friend at CrabApple Consulting!
crabappleconsulting@gmail.com
crabappleconsulting@gmail.com
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