Am David Mundia from Kenya I have been dowsing for water from 1999.I have done it for local farmers numerous times and never missed to locate water . I must have done it 50+ times trying to figure out what the trick was there was an undeniable pull on the branch when I would walk over certain parts of the property. And, if you are looking for oil, it's . I tried it and found it would work for me. He said it was the dangest thing he's ever seen. They also provide information about the different types of rock units that exist in the area. I was having a well dug before we built our house 4 years ago. I moved to a rural community from Chicago in the early 70s. I did Alot of exploring over time. Welding rods have more mass and are even slimmer. Thats underground. The depth is what I need for wells. Water is not always where youd expect. I have located a few places to drill a well. I can't do it. Sure enough when the well digger came to dig for the water he only went down 25 feet before he hit a artisian well with water 30 gallons per minute. When I was on the board of trustees for our local cemetery the subject of finding graves was brought up. He made a career with his magic tricks but also devoted many of his later years to debunking spiritualists, magic phenomena, and water witching. But would take a beer sometime in the bar. Funny thing that none of the witchers ever told him there was no water on his place, nor did they offer to pay the driller who drilled the dry hole at the chosen site.Have you ever known a witcher who wandered a place and then proclaimed there was no water to be found?Long story short; he finally dug in a cistern and hauled city water from about 15 miles away. My buddy spent money hiring them and even worse, he spent money drilling dry hole after dry hole that would hit the shale. Since then, I have used it multiple times to find old water lines with good results. Not sure about the tree branch and wells, Ive never seen anybody do that. Image copyright iStockphoto / Monika Wisniewska. One of his relatives used a forked willow to locate the origins of a spring that provided the house with water. When I was a kid, my brother had a friend who showed us how to locate water using bent metal rods held loosely in his fists. They know they are not doing something to make those rods move.. My dad wit hed for water for over 50 years. You can also use apple or peach branches for water dowsing. With the copper piece at the end, I did it as a child and it absolutely works. The one guy just carries a crow bar or other iron bar at his side as he walks and when it starts to move that indicates water. 100% of wolf cubs could do it after 30minutes training. Just saying it depends on how you feel. On some properties, there are very few options. One example: I located a well for one person on top of a hill, Lynn says. General logic is that youd find water more often in the valley floor than on a high mountain. Looks like a lot of potential millionaires amongst us *****I think he has passed on now but there was a guy named James Randy, who used to appear on the Johnny Carson Show. When they move, they arent attracted to one another. Lynn likes to use a green willow, but even a relatively dry one will work . A federal publication entitled The Divining Rod : a . Water dowsing can be performed through a wide range of water dowsing equipment. Does it work to find overhead power lines? He said I laughed and counted after he dropped it into the bucket of water. My cousin showed me how. At first when I started I would just walk around in an area and if my stick went down Id say try here. I use a wire bent at a 90 degree angle. I can find buried waterline & tile using 2 welding rods, -the flush, bent @ a 90 angle. Dowsing for water. It worked for me using a peach tree fork. My email is djcwhite@comcast.net I would GREATLY appreciate any help in locating one around here. I located an underground river and I walked the direction it flowed. Over the last century, several studies have shown that the average dowser is no better at predicting the location of water than anyone else. Many dowsers prefer forked sticks made from willow, peach, or witch hazel wood. The local Purdue farm uses dowsing rods to locate broken drain lines in the fields. You could turn on all spigots and run all night without running dry. Next time I try for water I am using science, geology, not BS. If you have ever been to underground caverns theres places where water swirled and made these huge pools, I always picture in my mind thats whats going on and that might make sense why its a good spot. Lynn uses willow because its plentiful, but hes also used chokecherry branches. Yes I do it a lot. Leave water/electricity off and nothing happens. When one has witnessed someone with a proven track record do it right in front of you with spectacular results then one tends to lean toward KNOWING it works, at least for certain gifted individuals. Of course with permission. Desperate farmer using a willow branch to locate a place to drill a new well. So the roots branch out in all directions seeking water and will grow more dense in areas where water has been found. It scared my hubby, though, and he asked me not to do it again.apparently didnt want to be married to someone spooky. Hmmmm, imagine that. and the people came in with a drill and drilled another place with no luck . #4. The idea was to count how many times it would swing and that was supposed to relate to the depth. It's yet another example of magical thinking. Why? About like going by the almanac to know when to lay down gravel..But a couple of years ago, we were building a new pipe fence in an area with a suspected water line. 1. An old well striker gave me the cut coat hangers l shaped said walk around. No water after 4-5 days of drilling. Watched a bunch of how to videos. When I was a kid, my grandfather taught me how to water witch, more commonly called dowsing. And, in his defense, he wasn't quite 90 degrees off the markmore like 75. Most successful water wells are drilled without the advice of a hydrogeologist. I was telling my buddy this and he disagreed, He told me 30 some years ago they were trying to find enough water for irrigation He ended having a well known well witcher from the area give it a try. Wires going apart can be an old road bed. By the way two rods are not necessary. Said Id try. I had two local gurus, both claimed they were great dowsers, come out and dowse the same area. Water-Witchin' was at one time a part of regular country life when other means of finding water underground in order to dig a well wasn't available. He called me a one-armed water Witcher. The pull is very obvious. He was a professional magician who billed himself as, "The Amazing Randy". Lynn likes to use a green willow, but even a relatively dry one will work. 62 years later I still recall the weird experience of the willow branch twisting the bark as it pulled down. Tell them to dig in center. While the majority of dowsers search for water, some practitioners use this technique to find all sorts of things: gold, bombs, or even the missing remote control to theTV. When we were having some work done, the guy we hired used 2 bent pieces of coat hanger wire to locate the pipe to out septic tank. Water witching for graves. Reminds me of someone bending their finger. Dowsing rods point toward you when you are directly over water. I had a well driller witch a location and put a rock about as big as my fist at the location in the grassland area, he said get a second opinion from mr Powell, I called him, he came, I told him I wanted a well somewhere in that 2 acre area, he stumbled around as he was about 90 years old, using about 8 ft of a grape vine in a horseshoe shape, he said you see that rock, your best water is about 1 ft from that rock and 3 tiers of water, the well proved to have 3 levels of water per the driller. They want to be sure that the well is drilled in a location where it will produce water of adequate quantity and quality. According to the American Society of Dowsers, divining the location of water dates back many millennia. Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, claimed radiations (radiesthesia), gravesites, malign "earth vibrations" and many other objects and materials without the use of a scientific apparatus.It is also known as divining (especially in water divining), doodlebugging (particularly in the United States, in searching for . Dowse a spot and hit the numbers we need. And, despite the skepticism, there are even a few scientists who think theres more here than meets the eye. His son & daughter can both find tile & waterlines as well. An expert told us not to stop at the first stream but put a pump on the well snd suck it out while it was dug down further. My current well, which is collapsing, is 400 feet down. Our back yard was our an acre and our front was probably around a quarter. He was a whiz on that. He holds them with the long ends level and apart from one anotherholding them loosely so they can swivel freely. Sometimes, the towns are really far away so you're out for eight hours and you make $200 . Would be grateful if youd share. I walked around and was flabbergasted when those stupid wires started moving on their own! Good Morning. The willow gives you a feel for how much is there. Most fresh groundwater occurs in the pore spaces of sedimentary rocks and sediments. NASA's Aqua satellite will provide crucial information about the water in the ground and the weather on the horizon. In frustration, he asked Lynn to locate water. I used wire for finding the lost graves. Oh, and it also helps to know that traces of the waterline's route are still visible, especially if you connect the dots made by tile holes where the waterline cut them. Water-witching, 1907. A high percentage of people can get the rods to cross on a water pipe or a bottle hiden under a floor or something. There are numerous verses in the Bible about asking the rod for answers. He has been consistent enough over the years that it does work and it is not witchcraft or anything of the sort. The well driller drilled 120 feet at that spot and got 18 gallons a minute. Any advise? If I can teach 9 yr old to do it anyone can do it following this simple technique. Easter: Why Is It a Different Date Each Year? Usually look at blue prints to go onto the street and mark what is needed. My FIL who could do water witching told me that one time he was having no luck so he removed his 4 buckle overshoes and suddenly he could then find water again. The tip drops when she is over water. I believe those were well drillers,not well diggers. 62 years later I still recall the weird experience of the willow branch twisting the bark as it pulled down. But on occasion there might be more.. Decades ago some of my Dad's friends called BS on his abilities to witch. Use a length of 1 inch (2.5 cm) dowel rod, with a hole through the center. You may also pass the wire through a couple of drinking straws. Also one of the local water companies uses dowsing rods to locate leaking water pipes. But on occasion there might be more.. Some are close to the surfaceperhaps only 40 to 100 feet deepwhile others are several hundred feet deep. Spot they turned. Dowsing as it is more commonly called has often been used to find water underground before time and. I cant find septic to save my life. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! The wire is magnetically attracted to that point. I also can use a pendulum to find water on a map. Aerial photos often reveal linear features that might indicate the presence of fracture zones in the bedrock. Although Agricola used this illustration in his book and reported that the dowsing rod was being used to locate minerals, he rejected the practice and instead recommended trenching [5]. In PA Dutch country, you might hear it called "water smelling". The newest type of drilling rig was used, and the actual drilling time was 3 hours. just bought some rods for dousing. She has used witching sticks with very good results. Im in a county west of Charlotte. It DOES work. You may have seen the water witch in popular culture. Lynn doesnt know how water dowsing works, but he says it does work. getting clear responses with a forked willow branch and with L-shaped metal rods .more. He hung a small weight on a string from the middle of the lid. The problem is, the water line running to our hydrant goes right under our working chute. might have some false positives! He always witched or dowsed before drilling. Note ,the side to side movement helps to determine if the water is sufficient to develope. It works! When I was young I helped an old neighbor track a tile line all the way across his farm. Forked sticks held in front of a dowser will be deflected toward the ground, a pair of L-shaped rods held lightly in the dowser's hands will cross one another, and a pendulum suspended on a string will deflect from vertical as the dowser moves over a good location. This is all you need. You didnt answer your own question, though. This would give you the number of feet you had to go down to hit water. Youre just missing out on one of the wonders of the world. Start by holding the dowsing or divining rods steady and straight in your hands, at an arm's length from your body. Needs to be at least 25 feet wide to get a decent house well. Would be curious if life expectancy or health issues differ from those who can and can't. I was stunned by my first success when the stick pointed straight down and pulled my hand with it. We had two witchers as neighbors, saw them many times work their magic and never saw them miss they did it free for farmers drilling wells for livestock. Some dowsers prefer branches from particular trees, and some prefer the branches to be freshly cut. Dowsing tools include a variety of things, such as pendulums, car keys, wire rods, coat hangers and pliers. They swing away from you when you walk past it. Outward again I hollered. Check out our water witching selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our altars, shrines & tools shops. 4) turn water or electricity on and repeat. Chinese New Year: Traditions and Superstitions, Spring Equinox and the First Day of Spring, Summer Solstice and the First Day of Summer, Sell the Farmers Almanac In Your Retail Store, Grow Your Business Advertise with the Farmers Almanac, Be The Business Your Customers Will remember. A well must intersect enough of these tiny fractures to produce useful amounts of water. "Willow branches," he says. If its a small willow and you are holding it really tight, it can actually take the bark off the willow where you are gripping it, he says. Wells drilled throughout the area will penetrate the same materials and have a high probability of yielding water. They also know areas where locating an adequate water supply can be challenging. We drove to my land that weekend and I set him on the same path I had taken, then stood back and watched. I don't know how accurate it is. He handed me his dowsing rod, which was a forked copper wire, and it worked! Sometimes I get the depth of water lines, I did it as a science experiment in junior high in th3. illow will work for the forked stick and the bobbing stick. Still more say that this art is nothing more than a clever hoax. There is no debate. He had a standing challenge offering a million dollar cash prize to anyone who pass his tests on any of the above. Love this kind of folklore. Later, my husband, Lynn, became really good at this He first witnessed water witching, commonly called water dowsing, in 1955 on the ranch where he grew up. L-shaped or Y-shaped Dowsing Rod Traditionally a straight or forked tree branch or twig, usually from a hazel tree, though peach and willow twigs are also acceptable. I cant pull a rabbit out of a hat. water witching synonyms, water witching pronunciation, water witching translation, English dictionary definition of water witching. I have seen his fingerprints on something in a few minutes. Water witching, also known as dowsing, has been around for a long time but has never been fully accepted as a legitimate tool by the scientific community. Very profound for someone who is very skeptical. You need lots of experience to no how far below surface but simple training exercise makes believers out of doubters. Never tried any grave work. I told them to throw their dowsing rods away. Being a plumber by trade and having a father that was also a plumber; I can tell you it's a crap shoot. I'm not sure where he was originally from, but he'd lived here for probably at least 50 years. i went with him many time when he was witching ,i would mark where with a stone . Hazel twigs in Europe and witch-hazel in the United States are traditionally commonly chosen, as are branches from willow or peach trees. However I will admit. I've an uncle that can do it. I have no idea as to the reason why, but I seem to be more adept at finding lost graves than water. He said, it's your money, what do you want to do? Rods will turn in their hands. I have been Successful finding water lines and electric I even witched for a Irrigation well narrowed it down to a 4 ft circle I told the well driller this is the spot and we drilled a 12 inch well and I get a strong 1000GPM IDK probably had nothing to do with the witching. My mother can do it. I have been dowsing for 50 years with complete success. Publications. Also then count the side to side movements to determine the depth of the second vein. Some people use hazel wood, but it doesnt grow where we live. After he finished he had me try it. He says the cemetery located is located on private land near Seminary, Ms. at a place calledPeps Point that dates to the 1800s. One old timer told me the force of the pull could be enough to rip the bark off the branch." . The way I became interested in water witching and understanding how it works was a TV show called Off the Grid. It depends on the location and the severity of the drought, but usually it's between $75 and $200. I dont have much luck finding water veins consistently. I believe it has something to do with the body also. We needed a well dug and was told that we should use the old local farmer who could easily locate the water source for us. Make a bend about 24.5 inches in, at about 90 degrees. In the Tassili Caves of northern Africa, an 8,000-year-old cave painting depicts a man holding a forked stick, apparently using it to search for water. It's a hot day on the Western farm and the farmer is checking the field before harvest. He used his wires and said probe here. You hold welding rods loosely, so they can swing freely and not drag on your index finger when they move (the rod free-floats). The dowser walks through the field with the dowsing rod. Only some people have this ability. The wires cross, or separate, when I walk over underground water pipes or electric pipes. Elderly, cantankerous friend of mine said no problem, Ill bring my own coat hangers. A well we had dug was close to two underground streams at different depths. Kelly Rogers: I know in the past too they used willow rods, like willow sticks. Closer to center as possible. They believe that this type of information is more useful for siting a well than how a stick, a wire, or a pendulum responds to an unknown force [3] [4]. I just tried it over a running faucet of water, pinpoint straight with perfect 90 degree bends just like every video show online. People can drill wells just about anywhere and hit water. He would open the pliers pointing them straight up and they would get pulled out of his hands over a good well spot. Many choices and styles to choose from. There was a local man who used an old pair of slip joint pliers to find water. This is the tricky part; many experienced dowsers say that as you zero in on the water source, the dowsing rod will bend towards the earth quite sharply, which means youll need to tighten your grasp on the rod so that you dont drop it. I drilled wells for 45 years. But I really dont know. In the sense that it finds underground water, water dowsing does not work. 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