THE SIDERIC PENDULUM.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 24 December 1920, Page 2

THE SIDERIC PENDULUM.

GOLD KOTO ON A THREAD.

DETECTS SEX AND CHARACTER.

What is culled the '-'Sideric Pendulum" is the latest craze among English students of, the occult. The device, with which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lias made a number of experiments, is akin to the divining rod, and among the most remarkable of its power* is said to 'be the determination of sex. This power is excited not only by fertile eggs, young animals and the like, tout also 'by photographs and letters, and by articles that have ;bceu for some time in the possession of individuals. The pendulum is also claimed to indicate 'bad moral forces and disordered mentnlitv.

The device consists of'a plain gold ring or other article of the same metal held suspended over an object 'by a thread or hair fastened to the hand. Deductions are made from the swing of the pendulum—whether circular, elliptical or in a straight line. According to a recent article on the subject the pendulum's 'behaviour is explained 'by a theory that living beings give off an emanation, male or female in character, which is communicated to, and retained toy, articles that have been in their possession, such as watches, clothes and documents. The same is said to apply to letters toy a person, and to photographs of him, though not to printed reproductions of such photography. The emanation is supposed to 'be conveyed from the subject to the photographic plate, and from the latter to all contact prints made from it. The personality of the subject gives a definite character to the emanation. Thus a letter written with a deceitful purpose by a person of unsound mind or 'by someone influenced 'by anger or terror is said to cause erratic movements of the pendulum.

To make the device take a smooth silk or cotton thread or woman's hair about 15 inches long. Tie a little uoosc in one end, taking care to cut the loose end of the thread close to the knot. At the other end fix a 'weddiug ring or other, ring without stones, a golden collar stud, or any like article. Other metals will answer the purpose also, but gold is considered the 'best. Here, too, the loose end of the knot must be trimmed off. Then push the noose on the. first joint of the forefinger, which it ■must fit tightly. It is not sufficient to wind the thread around the finger. Now the operator, if he has not done so before, divests himself of every metallic article, such as watch, key9, pocket knife, studs, etc., as they might interfere with the movements of the pendulum; that is, stop them or lead to deviations which 'would tend to wrong conclusions. For the sarnie reason no metallic articles should be in too close proximity to the place where the experiments are to 'be carried out. The experimenter (this is important) must take care to stand true in the line of the meridian, facing north (south in the Northern Hemisphere). The right hand, palm downward, forefinger extended, and the other fingers closed, is raised over the o'bject-so that the ring is suspended one or two inches above it. The left arm is best held at the back. The same applies to the thumb' which must not touch the forefinger. It is an advantage to place a sheet of paper under the abject. The pendulum must Ibe held steady—not a difficult matter. About a minute after object it begins to swing in a definite the pendulum has come to rest over the way.

If it describes a circle the object is connected in some way with the male sex, so is composed of gold, pyrites, or certain other materials. Over water the swing is also circular, and the same effeH is produced toy a photograph of a lake or waterfall. In. the ease of the last the swing is very vigorous and agitated. If the swing is elliptical, the female sex is indicated, or the presence of silver, lead ami certain other 'minerals. A straight-line swing from east to west, or a narrow ellipse pointing in those directions is regarded' as an tin'favourable sign, indicating moral, mental or nervous degeneration in the person with whom the object has been •most associated.

"T tried it 14 times without a failure lipon photographs," wrote Sir Arthur 'Conan Doyle to the Strand Magazine, "in several cases concealing the photograph so that T did not myself know, until after the ring'had given the eircle or the ellipse, what the sex was. It never failed. I find on testing other materials apart from' sex that one gets a constant Tesult—e.g., gold and amber are circular or 'male, silver is oval steel and "bronze are almost longitudinal. 'Photographs are, on the whole, better than letters, and recent letters better than old ones, 'but the latter respond after a long time. I had a male circle from a letter of 1776. It is a score for Mr Pussyfoot that the only substance which T have found give the evil reaction—that, is, from left to right—is alcohol. . . One cannot, so far

'as I can see. claim the matter as toearinjr directly upon spiritualism, tout it strongly supports the existence of forces outside our present scientific knowledge. ''