Dowsing Instructions

While it’s not clear when the practice originated but it seems to have first appeared in Germany in the early 1500s and was at that time most employed to help miners decide where to dig. It is discussed in the 1556 De Re Metallica, written by Georgius Agricola, “the father of mineralogy” and a woodcut image of a man with a dowsing rod can be found in Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia printed in 1550.

In the 15th Century the British Isles were famed throughout the known world as a center of excellence for magical and esoteric arts. German dowsers came to the West Country, bringing their tin divining skills to England. The Germans then traveled down to Cornwall where they successfully located veins of tin, allowing new tin mines to be established for the Cornish landowners.

In France, dowsing was very much in vogue in the 17th Century. This was mostly due to the mineralogists Baron and Baroness De Beausoleil, who together established a thriving mineral company through their successful use of dowsing. Sadly, the two lost all their money locating mines and died in the Bastille after being accused of witchcraft.

Victorian society had a fascination with spirituality and mysticism and dowsing again grew more widespread – popping up everywhere from parlor games to mining companies.

Also known as a divining rod or witching rod, dowsing rods are considered to be one of the oldest forms of divination to date. They were used in ancient times - and still today - to locate things like water sources, buried metals, crystals, grave-sites or places of high spiritual activity, the sex of unborn children, and even missing people. Companies still hire dowsers in modern times to locate precious metals and oils that may be buried below ground.

Dowsing involves a very simple tool, called a dowsing rod. According to the American and British Dowsers Society, the tools “are simply an extension of the human response giving clearer signals than can sometimes be detected without them.” The dowsing rods typically are made in an L-shape, which is held with a prong in each hand, are held parallel to each other during a dowsing session. Some dowsers opt to use a pendulum rather than rods.

While there are some dowsers who insist that dowsing rods have to be made of a certain material, such as copper, there are others who disagree. A fellow dowser and member of the American Dowsing Society recently told me that she comes from a long line of dowsers. “My mother and grandmother both were dowsers, and my great grandfather too, and they never used copper or metal rods because it was hard to get. So they just used sticks. My grandmother swore by willow branches, but I use all different kinds, just whatever’s available.” Personally, I prefer copper. But there is no one material that we all agree on.

Although some people swear that only those who are psychically gifted can dowse successfully, many others agree that anyone can learn how to do it. In fact, there's a common perception among dowsers that children actually are the best at the practice. This may be because they haven't yet learned how to disbelieve the supernatural, so they're not as metaphysically blocked off as adults who might question their own skills. Myself – I’m not a psychic, but instead sensitive to energy, which has made me especially adept at using the dowsing rods during paranormal investigations.

Once you’ve got dowsing rods, the process involves a few simple steps. Some dowsers like to talk to their rods before they begin—you can either ask the rods to help you or if you’re more comfortable doing this, you can ask the gods of your tradition to guide you. Either one is fine. I clear my mind and “clean” the rods by repeatedly running my hands over the rods to clear away any residual energies.

Using dowsing rods is considered to be a very safe form of divination, but there are a few things you should know about the practice. If you're using the rods and happen to feel dizzy, sick, lightheaded, or just uneasy, stop the process. Of course, before starting, take a deep breath, concentrate on what you want to find, and put yourself in a calm state of mind.

If using the rods to locate a water source or a lost object, etc., hold the rods out away from your body, begin walking slowly. You can either walk in a pattern—some people like to take a grid-like approach—or you can just let your instinct guide you. As you walk, focus your mind on the target—what is it you’re looking for? Are you seeking water? Buried treasure? Make sure you concentrate on the goal. My focus is to connect to Spirit and become an avenue of communication, so I don’t walk. I am almost always staying in one place. 

Make sure you're holding the dowsing rods loosely enough that they can swing freely and bring your hands about 10 inches apart (or shorter depending on whatever feels most comfortable). As a general rule, the rods will cross to form an X if you're over water, metal, grave-sites, etc., or as a "yes" answer to a question. As a paranormal investigator, I have found the most success by simply being the conduit and have someone else ask the “yes” or “no” questions. -From a blog by Khristian Bowen