Dowsing Uses

Dowsing rod divination is an ancient divination skill.  They are often thought of as a way of finding water, but this is only one of their many uses. They can also be used to find all sorts of items that may have been lost. They can also be used to divine the presence of ghosts and spirits.

The dowsing rod itself tends to take the form of a y shaped stick. This stick is commonly a witch hazel twig. The stick can also be made from wood from peach trees or willow trees. Some people find that their abilities to dowse require a freshly cut rod whereas others will prefer to work with one that they have had for a long time and become familiar with. Dowsing rods do not have to be made from wood. Some successful dowsers use rods made with metal or plastic. The metals that are most often used are brass and copper, but again this can vary. Many experienced dowsers will also use different rods for different forms of divination. They may find that they can find water best with wood and metal object best with metal rods.  They may well use an entirely different set of rods again in order to detect the presence of spirits in a house.

It seems to be that although some materials tend to have more success the rod is a tool that helps to hone the ability of the dowser. As with many abilities, the ability of dowsing is something that can be practised and improved. Learning to dowse is quite a straight forward process and certainly one that can be improved with practice. It is, perhaps, the shape that is more important than the material it is made from. To use a y-shaped stick it must be held with the hands holding the y forks. The remaining straight section, or stem, of the y will dip or vibrate when close to what is being looked for. The other common shape is the L shape. These are used in pairs and the short section of the L is lightly held. The long sections will waver or cross over each other when close to what is being looked for.

L shaped rods can also be used for more complex divination. The movement of the rods can indicate yes or no in answer to a question. The rods may cross, for example, when the answer is yes, or they may produce some other form of movement such as vibration, pointing forward or moving up and down.  Often lack of movement is interpreted as a no. Each individual dowser will have their own particular system and method and particular way of interpreting the movement of the rod or rods.