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Dowsing and the Pendulum Phenomena

© M. Williams

Dowsing is the process of using tools, such as tree branches, metal rods and, of course, pendulums, to retrieve information not available via our five senses, and it's a practice that's been around for a long time. Archeological evidence, in the form of early cave paintings found in 1949 in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in Africa, proves that as early as 8000 years ago man employed this particular art of divination as an aid to survival. One painting depicts a tribe member using a forked branch to dowse while other members of the tribe look on.

While this is the earliest recorded evidence of dowsing, the process was not confined to any particular geographic region. Knowledge of dowsing has been passed down through the ages in seemingly every culture. The ancient Egyptians, Persians, Druids, Romans and Greeks all practiced the art, and the skill survived because of its importance in ensuring one of the basic necessities of life-water.

Today we rely heavily on technology to help provide a safe and livable environment for ourselves. Not so for our early ancestors, who, of necessity, developed natural methods of accomplishing the tasks required for their survival. Dowsing for water, also known as water witching or doodlebugging, was accomplished with the aid of a forked willow branch. The practitioner-most often the priest or shaman of the community-would traverse the chosen area while holding the branch by the forks. If, in his meandering, the dowser passed over an underground water supply, the branch would react by bobbing and dipping toward the source. Often the location of entire communities was based on the information gained through this method.

Dowsing has come a long way from its roots in ancient civilization. Its revival in the twentieth century has led to a refinement of the art, and while willow branches and metal rods are still popular tools for detecting underground water and mineral sources-sometimes even buried treasure-the pendulum is often the tool of choice for modern dowsers. Its appeal is that it's simple to use, portable, and useful for "long-distance" dowsing. In fact, pendulum dowsers claim to be able to locate missing persons, pets and personal items simply by dangling their pendulum over a map of the area or property. The pendulum, they say, will indicate the area in which to search via its pattern of movement. During the last world war, one accomplished pendulum dowser so astonished the U.S. Military with his accuracy in locating every U.S. and Japanese submarine using only a map and pendulum that he was deemed a security risk and was refused a passport to leave the country.

The copyright of the article Dowsing and the Pendulum Phenomena in New Age is owned by Donna L. Quesinberry. Permission to republish Dowsing and the Pendulum Phenomena in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.