In the last issue we followed the lineage of dowsing through history, from the Chinese emperor Kuang Yu , the Egyptians, European miners in the middle ages up to very recent scientific studies in Germany. In this issue, we will have a look at some dowsing instruments and learn some basic exercises to begin with.

Everybody is able to dowse. It just takes some practice and seems to work well if we are properly grounded. If we don’t get a dowsing response the flow of Qi in the body is blocked, most likely in the belly area which then will make it difficult to receive signals from our own unconscious. Below are some points to help ground and prepare yourself.

• Calm down from every day stress, meditate a bit and find your inner center. Focus on the Hara, the energetic center in the lower stomach, and imagine a good connection between your feet and the ground.

• Be sufficiently hydrated. Drink at least 2 glasses of water before you start. Water is the body’s main ingredient, if the body is too dry you will have difficulty picking up energy.

• Before you start always ask for permission to work with a space and its energy. In 95 % of the cases there is no problem at all. Once in a while it happens that there is resistance. This could be a sign of negative energy forces that do not want to be exposed.

• Also try to be clear and specific in your questions. If dowsing does not bring the desired responses it often is because a question was not clear. Without a clear question – no clear answer.

For example, “Will it rain tomorrow?“ opens a variety of answers. Rain can be anything from a sprinkle to a thunderstorm. What are we trying to find out? If we should bring a jacket or if our basement is in danger of flooding? Where is it supposed to be raining? In your close neighborhood or in the bigger region? Finally the time frame is significant, too. All these unprecise assumptions thin out the energetic information we’re trying to catch. So you can see why it is very important to be as specific as possible.

I personally do not engage in questions for future happenings. I believe there are many parallel possibilities for the future to develop into. In my work as a Feng Shui consultant, I use dowsing as a method to detect energetic patterns, the quality and quantity of Qi, and most importantly the position of Geopathic grids (= draining earth energy patterns) in order to avoid them.

Dowsing instruments:

Dowsing instruments by themselves are not magic wands, they assist the dowser while tuning into subtle energy fields and their frequency information.

Of the many different types of dowsing tools, the four most common are:

1. Y-shaped rods from tree branches, but also from wire.

2. Pendulums of all kinds.

3. L-rods in various designs, easily made from coat hangers.

4. One handed dowsing rods, called tensors or sometimes “bobbers“.

The different tools are used in various ways:

Y-rods are held with two hands with the two ends pointing up and the tip turning circular up or down.

Y-rods

A pendulum is basically a weighted object on a string that moves side to side, back and forth or in circular motions.

pendulum

L-rods are kept parallel in both hands and move either towards each other or away from each other. An L-rod can easily be made yourself with coathangers. Cut the wire and bend it to an L-shaped form, stick the shorter ends in some old pen shafts to allow free movement. Here we go!

L-rods

Tensors or bobbers are my personal favorite. They work fast, are sensitive and can be used easily for measuring quantities and determining exact fields.With a tensor, a typical „“yes“ looks like a head nodding up and down, while a “no“ moves sideways again like a disagreeing head motion.

swings because of a micro movement of the hand of the dowser. This movement is so small that it is barely registered by the dowser himself. While dowsing one has to detach from the question itself and all desire for a specific outcome, a path one‘s ego sometimes will want to influence. This is the reason why dowsing for another person is usually much easier than dowsing for oneself.

However, your “yes“ may not be the same as another persons. The first exercise therefore is to determine a clear “yes“ and “no“ for each of these tools. With a pendulum a “yes“ can be either a straight line towards you or a clockwise movement of the pendulum, a “no“ would be a cross line or a counter clockwise response. Whatever it is, this needs to be determined first, otherwise we do not know how to interpret any future results.

In order to find out each persons individual “yes“ or “no“ response one can ask a question like: Is my name “soandso“ (whatever your name is). In my case I would ask: “Is my name Werner?“ If this is correct the movement of the instrument would signal a “yes“, while using a wrong name in this question would indicate a “no“.

At the beginning one might need to repeat questions again and again to sense the answer. Once more, relax and try to leave your mind out. After a while you gain confidence in your new sense. You don’t have to formulate the whole question in detail any more, just thinking of it makes your body answer already.

Another exercise would be to fill a bowl with water. Then use your favorite dowsing instrument and start asking “ Is this water here in this bowl?“ You should get a clear “yes“ reaction. After that ask a counter question: “Is this chocolate here in this bowl?“ to test your “no“.

You then can practice with more water like substances like apple juice or similar drinks. Again, be careful with your phrasing: “Is this (pure) water here in the bowl? Or “Is here water in this bowl?“ (maybe mixed up with juice concentrate) might give you different results. Keep on practicing until you get clear answers.

A more advanced situation would be the following setup: Open the water faucet in your kitchen sink and let the water run into the sink. Ask the question: “Are the energies above this swirling water disturbing for me?“ Fast moving water as in this example, but also in a water vein under ground creates Geopathic Stress patterns above itself. These energy fields are draining the Qi and need to be avoided.

Experiment above water faucet

Dowsing not only covers the work with water, locating underground water lines and springs. Other fields are:

• Locating lost objects. Good dowsers are successful even with run away animals and missing people.

• Map dowsing which is dowsing over a map in order to achieve results over distance.

• Search for positive earth energy grids as ley lines and sacred spaces.

• Most important in my own work the location of Geopathic Stress patterns as they have clear negative impact on our health.

• Selection of detailed aspects of alternative medical treatments and choice of supplements. Similar to Applied Kinesiology alternative health practitioners in Europe use dowsing techniques with their work.

• Finally the whole world of communication with spiritual guides, devas and angels.

Dowsing is a life long experience and study. If you are interested and would like to learn more about this topic visit the website of the American Society of Dowsers at www.dowsers.org . You can find literature and contacts for local meetings, as well as information about upcoming dowsing conferences.

Pictures from the book Rutengehen – Ulrich Holst