1 of 19

Write now Article Tools

Page 3 of 3

when you have found your target? The best comparison I can think of is taken from fishing. The faint tug on your line when you get a nibble is a close similarity to what you will feel through your dowsing rod. It can vary from a light bobbing action to a distinct jerk at the end of the branch. When you feel this, walk past the reaction spot then turn and begin to slowly criss-cross the area. At each "bob" place a mark. In the case of water pipes, this will allow you to find, not only the water itself, but to note how the pipe is placed lengthwise.

With time and experience, you should be able to refine your abilities. Deciphering the depth of your water is as simple as standing at the point of strongest reaction and focusing on the question of depth. Use the feeling of seeking or desire to know the number of feet or other measure instead of thought of a worded question. I never became adept at this, but those who did told me that their results were largely dependent on their clarity of desire. The ability to avoid distraction and achieve a patient "stillness" of mind is critical to accuracy. Each "bob" of the rod indicates your unit of measure... feet, meters or whatever you are comfortable with. Counting the number of dips tells you how deep the water is.

When asked to describe how he knew the strength of a proposed well, Grandpa said he just included it in his desire to know and that he could tell from how strong the tugs became how much water would be available at what depth. Whining about my lack of ability caused him to laugh and remark that if I continued to dowse, a few years of experience would most certainly cure all my confusion.

For those of you still too skeptical to even try your hand at dowsing, I have a short true story. In the 1960's, shortly before his death, Grandpa was foreman of a ranch that sold to a Houston businessman. This gentleman didn't believe in the old "water witching" ways and hired a team of hydrogeologists to travel to this remote desert location and determine where to drill. They researched, measured, mapped, gathered information on the other wells existing on the ranch and spent several weeks of preparation before contracting to sink their first hole. To make a long story short... 13 dry holes later, in utter frustration, the owner asked Grandpa to pick a spot. The location he chose garnered shrill cries of "impossible" from the professionals, but drill they did... and the bits hit good water at 7 feet less than the depth Grandpa said they would on a 300+ foot hole.

This is not to discount in any way the knowledge available or ability of science to provide consistently accurate results! This was simply one situation where experience, familiarity with a unique geological area and, perhaps, a good measure of intuition held the winning hand.

Back to the question of whether dowsing is fact or a fiction of imagination, chance or luck... I firmly stand by my opening statement. Dowsing works! Try it! You just might have some fun and expand your concept of what is possible along the way!

Learn more about this author, GraMarie Walker.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3

Add your voice

Know something about Is dowsing fact or fiction??
We want to hear your view. Write now!