Dowsing

Dowsing, frequently called "water witching," is a method of divination for discovering water, metals, and minerals, in or under ground. Dowsers, sometimes known as diviners, also use a forked branch of a tree, bent pieces of metal or plastic wire, or a small pendulum. Some people use no pointing device at all as other claim to be able to find water or minerals by dowsing a map. After placing the pendulum on the map he can tell the inquirer the information he wants to know.
Dowsing is distinguishable from a related divinatory method called radiesthesia because the latter method not only attempts to discover inanimate but animate objects as well such as missing person, and also is used in the detection of illnesses and prescribing their treatment. However, almost everywhere the terms dowsing and radiesthesia have became synonymous.
As with dowsing, there is also the phenomena of teleradiesthesia or superpendulism. This is the phenomena where the sensitive person does not go to the actual location of the sought after object, but a map of the location is brought to him.
The origination of dowsing dates back about 7000 years. It is known to have been practiced among the Egyptians and Chinese. The druids of the celtic cult used it to discover leys. During the Middle Ages it was use extensively in Europe to discover coal and water. The form used today probably originates in Germany during the 15th century. Then it was used to find metals. The technique spread to England with German miners who came to England to work in the coal mines. An extensive book on the history of dowsing was published by Christopher Bird in 1979 under the title of The Divining Hand.
Martin Luther condemned the practice as witchcraft which was equated to Devil-worship. Nevertheless, dowsing continued as a popular form of divination until the 19th century when science cast a dim light on it by proclaiming it invalid, "occult." In 1897, Sir William Barrett, of the Royal College in Dublin, stated the "few subjects appear to be as unworthy of serious notice and so utterly beneath scientific investigation as that of the divining rod."
Within this past century dowsing has been applied in archaeological and geological work. Some dowsers are so sensitive that they can predict the depth at which the well or reservoir lies underground and the amount of water or material that it is capable of supplying.
Sometimes the dowser does not even physically go to the location that he is being questioned about. A map of the location is brought to the person. The he sets up small pendulums over the maps which assists him in answering the inquirer's questions. Such a procedure has became known as teledowsing, with the theory behind it that there is the establishment a telepathic link between the location and the map.
Dowsing is still viewed by some with skepticism, but there seems to be sufficient evidence to show that the practice has some merits. Between October 1925 and February 1930 Major C. A. Pogson served as the Official Water Diviner for the Government of India. He traveled thousands of miles finding wells and bores. All during these years he was consulted on every matter relating to underground water.
In 1930 the term "radiesthesie" was coined by Abbe Bouly in France where the rod gave place to the small pendulum used as an indicator. L' Association de Amis de la Radiesthesie was established in 1930 and the British Society of Dowsers was founded in 1933.
There are many very successful dowsing systems and methods, with or without tools. But as a general rule, most dowsers usually use some type of dowsing, tool. We will cover the four most popular types, which are the Pendulum, L Rods, Y Rod, and Bobber. You will also find unlimited variations in the shapes, sizes, materials and how they are used. This variety does not seem to affect their work ability, other than speed, agility or convenience. Many dowsers have a whole pile of dowsing tools that they have collected or made. These tools generally fit into one or some combination of the above. Your choices should be determined by what tools feel and work good for you.
The following is a synopsis of the four basic instruments commonly used for dowsing.
 Pendulums
Shape:Can be anything that you can hang, on a string or chain. They can be any size, even as small as a paper-clip on a thread. The chain or string is usually about 3 to 4 inches long.
Materials: Anything you can find. Go by your feelings. For dowsing in medical diagnosis many prefer small pendulums on strings.
 How to Use: The usual response request is for: swinging straight forward for "yes" sideways for "no" and at a angle for ready for question.
Advantages : Easy to make. Easy to use. Very Popular. Small enough to go in your pocket or purse. Quick response. Excellent tool for dowsing charts or maps.
Disadvantage: Some problem in the wind or when walking. This problem can be overcome by requesting (prearranging, programing) the pendulum to spin in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to indicate the "yes" or "no" response.
  L RODS (Angle Rod, Swing Rod, Pointing Rod)
Shape: - With or without a sleeve handle. The top wire can be 4 inches to over 2 feet long. The usual length is around 12 to 16 inches.
Material:Usually wire. A metal coat hanger is a good source. Welding rod is also a very popular material. You can use 'use about any thing, you can bend into the L shape. The choice of brass apparently allows the rod to attune to the magnetic fields emenated by the target without the earth's EM field interfering, as would be the case with a metal such as steel. The end of the rod to be held by the dowser is often encased in a material that provides a constant electrical impedence, to prevent the dowser's own conductivity from interfering with the dowsing process. Some such rods also utilize a "witness chamber", especially those claimed to be able to find minerals. The user places a sample of what he or she wishes to find in the witness chamber, usually located at the end of the rod, and the rod is supposed to only respond to the material placed in the chamber.
 How to Use: Hold loosely in your hand with the top wire tilted slightly downward.
When one L Rod is used alone, it acts as a pointer or a swing rod. It can be requested to point towards a target or direction, or to swing sideways when encountering a specified energy field. (i.e. an aura or noxious zone.)
When using two L Rods, they are normally programed to point straight forward for the ready position, to cross for the "yes" response or when over a target, and to swing outward for the "no" response.
Advantages: Easy to make. Easy to use, very versatile and popular. Works well when walking over rough -round. They are generally not affected by mild winds.
Disadvantage: Not as easy to carry or conceal as a pendulum. Although the small 4 - 6 inch ones can be put in your shirt pocket or purse.
 Y ROD (Forked Stick, Talking Stick --- )
Shape:Traditionally it is a forked stick looking like the letter Y They can be any size, usually around 12 to 24 inches in length.
Material: Can be wood, metal or plastic. Plastic being very common for many dowsers, probably because of its ease of storage.
The forked dowsing rod was traditionally made of a hazel branch because the wood is known for its long reputed magical properties. Other woods which are reputed to have magical properties include ash, rowan, and willow. Also these are considered excellent for wands. Other dowsers preferred rods of whalebone but the supply was extinguished with the whalebone agreement, then many turned to plastic indicators.
How to Use: Hold with pointed end down. Thumbs will be up and palms towards center. Hold tight and spread Y Rod outward while rotating your wrist outward. Your thumbs will now be pointed outward and your palms up. The Y Rod will flip up into a delicate balance.
Pointing upward at an angle of around 45 degrees is usually used for the ready position.
Swinging down from the ready position to point at a water vein or target. This may also be used for the "yes" response.
Swinging up from the ready position is usually used for the no" response.
Advantages: Acts quickly, can point directly towards a water vein or target. Works well while walking over rough ground. Reliable in fairly strong winds.
Disadvantage: Not as versatile as other dowsing tools. It only has an up and down motion. You will need to turn your body to find direction.
BOBBER (Wand, Spring Rod, Divining Rod --- )
Shape: Any flexible rod, branch or wire. Can be most any length from one foot to over three feet. They sometimes have a coiled wire and a weighted tip.
Material: Any thing that is flexible.
How to Use: Hold it down at around 45 degrees. You can program it to simply mimic a pendulum, by bobbing up and down for "yes", sideways for "no", 45 degrees for ready for question. Or you may simply request what you want different bobber responses to represent. Like swinging pack and forth towards a requested target and to spin when over the target.
Advantages: Can replace a pendulum for field work. Most dowsers find it easy to use.
Disadvantages: Won't usually fit in your pocket or purse.
 Electronic dowsing rods
In recent years, electronic dowsing rods, also known as Long-Range Locators have sprung up on the market, often costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The makers claim that these devices have specially tuned electronics that allow one to find anything from water to gold. In every known case, however, it has been found that the locator electronics are either totally nonfunctional or do not perform as claimed when tested under rigorous scientific conditions, such as a double-blind study
The indicator, either the rod or pendulum, as previously mentioned amplifies the person's sensitivity, and its operation and indications are essential.
 Rods
Dowsing as well as radiesthesia operate by the use of a rod, commonly a "Y" shaped stick, formerly a branch of hazel. Frequently before beginning the dowsing practice, the dowser "attunes" himself to the object being sought. Included within this attuning method are techniques of visualization or exposing the rod or pendulum to a location, personal belonging, or type of material which is being sought.
 After this method of attuning has been completed the dowser holds the rod by its handles, formerly the upper ends of the "Y" shaped hazel branch, and proceeds looking for what is sought. If, for example, the person is seeking water he searches thoroughly in a location pointing the branch or rod downward. Presumably when the person comes across an underground stream or reservoir of water the dowsing rod will turn in his hands, sometimes with force.
Pendulum
The reason for the replacement of the rod with small pendulums is that in many incidences they are easier to work with, especially in medical diagnosis.
Usually pendulums are small balls attached to a thin string attached to the end of a stick. The string should be non woven preferably nylon so to register any extraneous movements of the bob. It is necessary the person be experienced in using the pendulum so not to allow any of his own muscle activity influence the activity of the bob. The only desired activity of the bob is to be caused by the influence of the sought after object.
The pendulum is held over the area in which the object is thought to be located. Then the observation of the action of the string and bob is crucial. The bob may be raised or lowered to assist in its observation by winding the string around the stick, or vice verse. Usually it gyrates or oscillates in a clockwise or anti clockwise movement.
In medical diagnosis the pendulum is first placed over the healthy portion of the body, then over an unhealthy portion. The difference of the movement of the pendulum is noted between the two areas.
As far as divination is concerned, you will hold the end of the chain lightly in the fingers, and ask he question. The pendulum should, within a minute or so, begin to swing in a particular direction, thus giving you the answer to your question.
Before using a pendulum, determine which direction means "yes", which means "no", and which means "uncertain or don't know". You may decide the answer is Yes, when the pendulum rotates clockwise; and No when it rotates anti clockwise. Other way, a north-south direction means yes, an east-west direction means no, and a circular motion means uncertain. The best way to determine this for yourself, though, is to make these the first questions you ask your pendulum:  "Which direction means yes?" And so on.