Here is one for the spiritual mystics and pendulum users to play around with.
 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: All of the spirit-contact methods I'm aware of assume that we're going to encounter precisely the entity we're seeking (ancestor, god-form, elemental figure, spirit guide, etc.) whenever we ask. But I've never been convinced that disembodied beings are lurking at the threshold of the Astral Plane, just waiting for us to reach out, nor are they necessarily sympathetic.

Here I'm postulating that three spirits of diverse disposition will be "enlisted" for our rendezvous, one cooperative, one uncooperative and one impartial (maybe they're near the portal at the time and by chance there are three roles to be filled: "good cop," "bad cop," and "unbiased arbiter"). The one we engage will depend on the random spin of a board-game dial. For those who want to use a pendulum instead of a spinner, this pattern lends itself to that approach. (All images are from the Retro-Thoth Tarot, privately published.)
 

Begin by placing a board-game spinner at the center of the reading surface. (Invoke any psychic protection you normally use before continuing.)

Concentrate on what you want to know while shuffling a tarot deck (reversals are permitted), then deal three cards face-down above the spinner in any order, being careful to place them in a way that eliminates overlap by the pointer.

Next deal three cards below the spinner in the same manner, and two cards into the "Interlude" positions.

Spin the dial, continuing to concentrate, and turn the card it points to face-up. Find the card diametrically opposite that one and turn it face-up. This pair will represent the nature of the contact ("Spirit-end") and the contents of the message ("Seeker-end"); the latter always travels from Spirit to Seeker regardless of which way the arrow is pointing. If you want to create an expanded narrative, add two more cards to the "message" position (unless it has already confirmed a "disconnect" as in the example reading's "loss of signal").

When the pointer lands on one of the "Interlude" positions, it means that the contact has not yet been made. If it is a "Helpful Interlude," spin again for a connection. An "Unhelpful Interlude" advises stopping for now and trying again later. It may be useful to examine your state-of-mind before doing so, since you could have been confused or indisposed the first time around.

Close the psychic channel in your usual fashion.

Here is an example. The reversed Ace of Cups indicates that the spirit is intensely private and emotionally disinclined to cooperate, while the reversed 9 of Disks conveys mundane interference at the seeker's end (the dog is barking, the kids are screaming, motorcycles are drag-racing in the street, etc.). Had I been asking about an investment of some kind, I would have just been shouted down. If this were a real scenario, I would break the weak connection and come back at a quieter time.