Book: What To Do When You Can’t Decide: Useful Tools For Finding The Answers Within (Nonfiction: Self Help)
Author: Meg Lundstrom
Publisher: Sounds True, Boulder, CO.
ISBN: 978-1-59179-816-3
Paperback, 240 Pages, US $14.95
SUMMARY: How to use divining tools for direction and to overcome obstacles, with an emphasis on “now” and taking action. Methods are: kinesiology (muscle testing); pendling (using a pendulum); and chits (casting folded pieces of paper).
STYLE: Conversational, Thorough
CONTENT: Informative, Practical
CONSCIOUSNESS: Divining bypasses the dictates of the mind and emotions; taps the profound depths of the unconscious mind (God, the universe, higher self, angels, etc.) to help us be in the right place at the right time; puts us on a spiritual path in which our blocks and beliefs surface for transformation.
Interested in the subject of inner guidance, I was surprised when I began reading What To Do When You Can’t Decide and realized it was about dowsing methods, such as using pendulums to help make decisions. I am intuitive and somewhat skeptical about such methods, but the author’s convincing focus on getting calm, clear, open and neutral to tap the higher self for learning the truth, convinced me to read on and give it a try. Lundstrum stresses that divining should be taken seriously and treated with reverence. She recommends using it when we:
Have a genuine dilemma
To diagnose ailments and find a healing path
Need a ‘friend’ to talk things over
To move beyond repeating behavior patterns that are not for our highest good
For a dose of courage
To sort information
To explore the unknown
The use of divining puts us in a receptive state (yin) for opening to guidance that meets our deepest needs and highest good–from which we gain peace of mind. With the confidence gained from receptivity, we use our willpower (yang) to manifest an outcome without the ego.
She advises keeping a journal of questions asked, guidance received and the outcome. Sometimes the guidance feels ‘wrong,’ but we received it because we needed to take that journey. In the end she says we will see that the guidance is almost always correct. Sometimes we don’t receive an answer because we need to use our intuition instead.
Lundstrom gives detailed instructions on the use of kinesiology, pendling and throwing chits, beginning with learning the signals for yes, no, not now or restart. She says divining will not work if we’re not open to it, and a good portion of the book is focused on techniques for becoming quiet, connected and neutral so the answers received are accurate. Before divining, ask, Is my mind engaged? My heart open? My body feeling sensations? Is now a good time to ask this question? Should I ask this question? If not, she recommends trying again later. If an answer feels ‘off,’ ask later using different words, or another divining tool. If unsure about divining, ask for a synchronicity, a dream, an inner shift.
Muscle testing and using the pendulum relay information from the unconscious mind via slight neuromuscular movements and can be easily affected by our thoughts, emotions and desires for specific outcomes. Throwing small pieces of folded paper (chits) is straightforward and more a ritual that can be used when feeling too emotional to use muscle testing or a pendulum. Though we must build our trust to be guided by the use of chits, emotions make the chits more accurate.
Muscle testing demands self-honesty, focus and precision in execution. We ask a question and the body is either weak or strong. I have an illness that affects my muscles (stiffness, pain, fatigue) and it was interesting to me that fatigue and pain affect the outcome when using muscle testing. (I received no input when using my muscles.) Kinesiology is effective when making choices, purchases, choosing courses, books and finding a professional who is competent and will work for our highest good.
Pendling should be used in a quiet place when in a focused, neutral state of being. It is especially good for finding a health practitioner, using maps to locate the best geographic areas for healing, safety, finding a spiritual path and for travel; the best foods and vitamins for our bodies, finding lost objects and diagnosing car problems. It can be used when making need-based financial questions, but doesn’t work with greed.
To use the chits, place a sacred item or a candle in front of you. Write options on same sized pieces of paper (including the outcomes you don’t want) and others like wait, wrong question and do not use chits for this question. Then fold them exactly the same, get deeply connected and throw them in front of you. The one landing closest to the sacred object is your answer. Or you can close your eyes, toss them, reach out and pick one up—then open your eyes. We must be willing to follow the guidance in order to receive accurate answers.
Lundstrom does an excellent job explaining all the dos and don’ts and how the divining processes work. It can seem a bit repetitive when reading the whole book because the instructions for becoming quiet, connected and neutral are repeated in the chapters for each of the three processes. This book is for those who are serious about using divination and following the guidance received. She also offers a good troubleshooting guide. The pendulum did move for me, but not strongly; this could have been caused by my skepticism or my health problems. I will have to spend more time becoming quiet, connected and neutral to try again.:)
Pam, Notes Along the Path
Notes Along the Path 