The Encyclopedia of Crystals, Herbs, and New Age Elements: An A to Z Guide to New Age Elements and How to Use Them - Adams Media 2016

Dowsing
The Power of Insight: Divination Systems, Tools, and Practices

ORIGINS

Dowsing is the practice of searching for water, minerals, or other materials underground using a Y-shaped rod called a dowsing or divining rod. The dowser holds one branch of the Y in each hand so that the stem of the Y is pointing straight ahead. Then the dowser walks slowly over places where he suspects the materials might be found. When the dowsing rod dips toward the ground, it is indicating where the discovery will be made. Alternatively, a pair of L-shaped rods may be used. The dowser holds one rod in each hand (holding the short leg of the L) and walks over the area in the same manner. When the two rods cross each other, X marks the spot.

HISTORY/LORE

Dowsing originated in Germany in the fifteenth century as an attempt to find metals. The German priest and professor Martin Luther (1483—1546), an important figure in the Protestant Reformation, denounced dowsing for metals as an act of occultism that therefore broke the first of the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” More modern applications of dowsing include searching for buried human remains, locating archaeological sites, and detecting energy fields.

USES

These days, dowsing is not recognized as a scientific way to locate materials underground (in fact, many studies have shown that its probability of success is no greater than pure chance), but that doesn’t stop lots of people from dabbling with dowsing as a hobby. If you’re interested in trying it yourself, check out some of the many websites and books devoted to the practice. Some claim that a natural sensitivity to certain phenomena, such as Earth’s magnetism, is required for successful dowsing, while others say it is a skill like any other that can be developed with practice.