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"Dowsing, water divining, or water-witching, is an ancient skillin which gifted individuals are able to locate underground water (pipe, tunnel, cable, mineral vein, ore, etc.) b y means of a neurophysical response when passing over the target object. The muscular spasm induced in the process is usually amplified by the use of a dowsing instrument or rod. (http://www.leyhunter.com/begi n/be5.htm)" Dowsing instruments include forked hazel twigs, pendulums, L-rods, and a variety of home-made contraptions including two knitting needles with points driven into a cork or L-rods made from coat hangers. In addition to tangible targets such as water and ores, dowsing became popular in the 1970's in the search for ley lines and other sources of earth energies.

Forked hazel twigs are mostly used for water dowsing as it is believed that the hazel wood is particularly "in tune" with water. The hazel twig is grasped with one end of the forked section in each hand. It is held out in front of the dowser as he/she walks slowly and deliberately across the area being searched. If water is found to exist, the end of the hazel twig will be pulled sharply down towards the earth, indicating where to dig.

L-rods work on a similar principle. They are L-shaped rods, usually in copper or steel, with or without grips on the short end of the L. The short end is held loosely, one in each hand, as the dowser slowly walks the area to be searched. When the substance for which you are dowsing is found, the long ends of the rods will cross. As mentioned above, some dowsers will even use coat hangers, cut and shaped as Ls for dowsing. However, this method is not recommended. It is very difficult to shape previously bent metals in to a "true" form, which is needed for dowsing.

Pendulums come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Most often they are made of a metal, wood, or crystal weight suspended from a string or chain. While metals are popular, wood or crystals are the preferred materials for pendulums as they are considered to be "neutral" and do not influence the pendulums reactions. Some pendulums are hollow, allowing for small objects or minerals to be placed inside them. This method of using a "sample" to determine an energy source and find a similar energy source ("like draws like") is called "sampling. (http:www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A 893414)" The user of the pendulum has programmed or come to understand the inherent program of the pendulum so that he/she understand the meaning behind its movements clockwise and counterclockwise circles, swinging back and forth as compared to left and right.

Dowsing can be used either in the field or on a map to determine ley lines. Regardless of the instrument used, you should find a "pulling" of the dowsing instrument in the direction in which the ley line runs. If the instrument appears to be pulled in opposing directions, or in the case of a pendulum, in a circular motion, then you have found the place where two ley lines cross a "place of power" or node.

In addition to dowsing for earth energies, water, ores, etc., some dowse for spirits. The technique is much the same as for other elements. L-rods cross in the presence of spirits, often confirmed by spikes in EMF readings. For pendulums, the difference is in motion vs. non-motion. As with other elements, the reliability of dowsing for spirits is about the same as dowsing for organic elements and/ or energy sources. The "key" is supposed the talent of the dowser and the relationship between the dowser and their dowsing tools. While some experiments have proven some dowsers to be fairly accurate in their findings, the data is, for the most part, inconclusive.

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