Magic pendulum — Moonstone

A pendulum cut from natural stone and hung on its fine chain; the balance is checked piece by piece, without which the swing drifts.

A milky white crossed by a bluish veil that moves with the eye — adularescence.

What tradition says. Associated with lunar cycles and with sensitivity, tradition makes it a stone of intuition and of the feminine.

In practice. Held with the chain free between thumb and forefinger, elbow resting. You first agree your movement conventions, then you ask. Hang it up rather than leaving it loose, so the chain does not tangle.

• Its sheen comes from alternating layers of orthoclase and albite at the micron scale.
• A natural piece: shade, veining and dimensions vary from one example to the next

A decorative object for personal practice. It is no substitute for medical advice or treatment.