Looking for Water

Among my many skills is the ability to dowse for water.

Dowsing for water, graves, or precious minerals is a long-standing tradition. It is also called divining or divination or water witching.

This is not something I do often. I have located a few wells for family and friends, but that's about it. So far my success rate is 100 percent.

First I need a dowsing or divining rod. I always use a fresh Y-shaped branch from either a willow tree or a peach tree. You could also use an apple tree. Some people use metal L-shaped rods but I have never had much luck with those. Others use a pendulum but I have never tried that. I am more keyed into nature and find the natural abilities of the wood work well. Why mess with what works?

When you find the branch, you strip it down so that you have a nice dowsing rod.

This is how you hold it. When there is water, the rod will move. Sometimes the stick practically jumps out of my hands. A strong pull indicates a good water source.

Generally speaking, I wander around in the area someone tells me they want to drill until the stick pulls down. The stick also sort of leads me in the right direction with a gentle tug as to which way to go. (I had no idea my hair was so gray. Wow.)

This is a "hit." The stick jumped up to tell me there is something there. It was a little close to a power line, though. So I kept looking. (Photos courtesy of my husband.)

I'm not sure the power lines didn't mess up the dowsing process. That will be my excuse if the well driller does not hit water, anyway. You never know what will interfere.

I do not believe this is magic. I think there are magnetic or other "pulls" that allow people to locate things beneath the earth, much like I get a headache from barometric pressure changes in the weather.  I think it is the same principle. I think the stick works for me because I think the stick is seeking water because it has been cut off from its sap source. I have no idea if this is right or not and no way to prove it, either.

There is an American Society of Dowsing, if you can believe it. I don't belong but found it when I was looking up dowsing on the Internet. They have more information about this if you're interested.