by Richard Webster
Dowsing is the art of divining for something that is desired. Usually, people dowse for water or minerals that are hidden underground. However, dowsing is much more versatile than this and has a large variety of uses. Just recently, I was in Munich and saw two people using a pendulum to decide which of two places they should visit. They did not have time to visit both, and were asking their pendulum which would be the better place for them to visit on this trip. I know someone who uses a pendulum to determine the sex of unborn chickens. While my children were growing up, they frequently asked me to find lost objects for them, and I would have to produce my pendulum and use it to find the missing items. These are all examples of dowsing.
When people think about dowsing, they usually visualize someone holding a forked stick which reacts when the person is standing over an underground source of water. This is the traditional dowsing tool, and it can easily be made from a V- or Y- shaped piece of branch cut from a peach or willow tree. The dowsing rod is held with the palms upward, holding the two ends of the forks. The elbows should be held close to the body, keeping the stick in a state of tension. If you are searching for underground water, you need to think casually about your desire for water, and then walk over the ground until the forked stick reacts. Usually, this is a strong downwards pull, which is known as the dowsing response.
Angle rods make a better device to start with, as they are more sensitive than the forked stick. They consist of two L-shaped pieces of metal wire, approximately twelve inches by six. The dowser holds these loosely in his hands, with the twelve-inch sections pointing forwards. The two rods should be parallel. Again, thinking of what he or she is dowsing for, the dowser walks forwards until the angle rods react, usually by crossing over each other, but sometimes by moving outwards. Some people grip the angle rods too tightly, restricting the movements. If this is a problem, the remedy is to cover the shorter section of the rods with plastic or wooden tubing that allows the rods to move freely inside. The casing from a cheap ball-point pen works well for this.
A small weight attached to a length of thread, cord or chain is probably the most convenient device for dowsing. This is called a pendulum. Ideally the weight should be at least a few ounces, and the thread should be four to six inches long. The cord is held between the thumb and first finger, allowing the weight to move freely. Stop the movement of the weight with your free hand, and then ask the pendulum to indicate a “yes” response. It might take a minute or two for the pendulum to react the first time you try this, but eventually it will move from side to side, backwards and forwards, or in a circular motion, either clockwise or anti-clockwise. This is what makes the pendulum so versatile, as the different movements allow it to give a range of different answers. Once you have the movement that indicates “yes”, you should ask for “no”, followed by “I don’t know” and “I don’t want to answer”.
Now you can ask the pendulum any questions you like that can be answered by one of these responses. You will be impressed with the quality of information you receive. However, there is one important caveat. Do not ask the pendulum any questions in which you are emotionally involved in the outcome. This is because, in these cases, the pendulum will give you the answer you want, rather than the correct answer. If, for example, someone close to you is pregnant and you want to find out if the baby will be a boy or girl, the pendulum will provide the correct answer
Richard Webster | http://www.richardwebster.co.nz/ | June 30, 2006