So he recommended they call me, Lynn says. Willow or apple was used to create the strongest 'pull' to the water. Spot they turned. Yes, water witching has been in existence for a long time. They are simply uneducated on the matter. I had coffee from the well my 100% Cherokee grandmother found in 1962. I will try it this spring. I can walk across a field using the wire. When they move, they arent attracted to one another. Hell no, I went with the pick of the most highly recommended dowser. 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. I know that not everyone can. Love this kind of folklore. 1. He said he gets 40 gallons a minute. Whoops, I misspelled his name. If its a thick vein of water, the stick will swing side-to-side many times. My father in law, Lowell, was held in high esteem within our county as a master dowser. I found two more spots and rushed to tell him. Subsequently Ive located running water multiple times. Probably any kind of willow will work for the forked stick and the bobbing stick. Lots of water there that was warm and even artesian. But you hold the willow tightly so you can determine how much it pulls. Eventually got mad when Im starting to laugh some and him yelling at me to do something to help and go flush a d%#n toilet! Ive only had to sit down to laugh and catch my breath like that a couple times in my life. Silvery green male and female catkins appear on separate trees in April to May, but are not showy. When you cross the underground stream the rods will swing in toward you. Yes, but with certain caveats. I do not have the ability but was told my Grandmother witched a lot of wells in the early 1900's. He kept on looking and found another one that was perpendicular to the first. Drooping branchlets are typically green or brown. This generation may be losing this old art unless some of you take up "water witching." Bill Brandon, an oldtimer touching his seventies, who lived in the Decatur area, but is now deceased . I hollered. The heavy end points toward the ground, held about a foot off the ground, and it starts bobbing up and down. Im in Dillsburg, PA 17019. Kelly Rogers: I know in the past too they used willow rods, like willow sticks. Two of us on the board could locate graves, the others could not. I can find water lines and electrical lines. I had a co-worker who showed me how to dowse, he made me (2)L-shaped copper rods. Thats a big gamble. Our current well is very high in sodium. Dowse a spot and hit the numbers we need. You can also use apple or peach branches for water dowsing. You may have seen the water witch in popular culture. I have no idea as to the reason why, but I seem to be more adept at finding lost graves than water. 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. I can do it sometimes. So, not necessary to have a Y shaped fruit wood stick. I tried again when my sister had a piece of farm ground. After they dug several dry holes. Rods will turn in their hands. Not sure if I do agree as a Master Naturalist and geologist helper but Granpa did use Dowsing to dig a well in Jefferson County Illinois to supplement the family cisterns. Id concentrate more on finding water or whatever youre hunting. It's hit and miss for me with wires and water lines. How 1) get rod I used coat hanger cut and bent into l shape. Walking with the long ends pointed forward, when he came to a certain spot, the rods swung around and pointed back toward him. Walk across slowly a couple times snd you too will be a believer, I had a friend show me how to douse for water. The depth of impermeable rock units can sometimes be determined, and these can serve as a lower limit for drilling. I read about a technique using what was referred to as a bobbing stick to help determine the depth of to the water and then the depth of the vein of water. Note ,the side to side movement helps to determine if the water is sufficient to develope. My buddy spent money hiring them and even worse, he spent money drilling dry hole after dry hole that would hit the shale. 4) turn water or electricity on and repeat. He would then hang the pliers from his finger and they would spin around and tell him the depth of the water. Although some dowsers have a record of regularly producing good results, the United States Geological Survey reports that most geologists and hydrogeologists do not endorse the practice of dowsing [1]. If they ever failed to find water (or pipes) no one talked about it. We then dug it up to tie in a new cattle waterer, and it was dead on. I have witched successfully for water lines with 2 coat hangers spot on every time. You can use virtually any kind of tree, but Y-shaped sticks from willows, witch hazel, and various fruit and nut trees seem to be the most popular. Lynn likes to use a green willow, but even a relatively dry one will work . As he approached the spot, he registered a look of total shock and surprise as the stick led his hand straight down. I cant pull a rabbit out of a hat. I also knew that the Soviet Army travelled with just 2 days fresh water supply, but several battalions of dowsers. Mar 27, 2017. Much like with Christ, many things cant be explained by the community of so-called scientists. Itll start to bend down when youre getting near the spot, and if you back up, itll straighten back up. Cant afford to drill that far again. I go out with my #9 piece of wire and hop in their pickup. My Dad found the location for our well with a willow stick. Even tried over water bed & wands turned out. I have used bent coat hangers to locate water and pipes underground. The pull is very obvious. Scary. The most popular dowsing tool, however, is the dowsing rod. I've also heard that peach branches, or hazel branches conduct water in the same way. The wire always goes across my body when it turns to the side. This way you can hold tightly and feel the willow pull on your hands and wrists. Remain still to see if the bobbing starts again. Not sure whether either of our sons or any of the grandkids can witch. Local drug store stocks both. I would not drill a well without the advice of a witcher. The force was strong. Watched a bunch of how to videos. Other clerics continued to condemn the practice for the next century or so, but France saw fit to use dowsing to track down heretics in the 17th century. They both found water in different places. Coal River Folklife Collection (AFC 1999/008) Repository. Also taught somebbiy scouts how to do it. They believe that locations where this water is present are surrounded by forces that will produce a response in their tools. Had a well driller challenge me, we both located the same places. "Divining" is referenced in the south, adding a magical aspect. He would open the pliers pointing them straight up and they would get pulled out of his hands over a good well spot. The practice continues to be used today, in some cities in Canada. He cut a branch cut Y and when he found a stream we marked it. My husband cannot. When it works for them, its very convincing. Others believe that the talent is all in the dowsing rod. I use two L-shaped wires bent out of coat hangers. If you are very very good at locating existing field tile, I will gladly hire you. Would move left or right and continue same process until I would regonize a vein or underground stream. Heather Smith Thomas. Branch, pendulum or "L" shaped piece of coat hanger wire in ballpoint pen (halved) all receive information from the same source but expressed through different chakra (Hara, heart, third eye). But if the stick only swings side-to-side a couple times, you know there isnt as much water there. I was probably 5 when he witched it with a peach branch. If it stops going side-to-side and starts bobbing again, you can count the bobs to see how deep it is (when it stops, There are usually only two levels, because Ive located, where they cross. I use any wire i can get hold of. But on occasion there might be more.. Could find 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. A dowser, or water witch, is a person perceived to have a skill for discovering underground water with the use of a divining rod, usually a small, forked limb cut from virtually any fruit-bearing tree or willow. I need help. They showed me how to do it with a willow branch when they were getting ready to drill a well. I know a guy that has this one and has yet to try it out. Drilling a water well can cost thousands of dollars. Location. Ive never charged the locals. You should also make sure the rods are 9 inches (22.9 cm) from each other. Standing. If my brother touches metal it will corrode quickly. Harvest young branches of a willow tree, ideally first-year growth. The well company said they just pick a spot and eventually find water. They can also cross rods in groundwater. Hazel twigs in Europe and witch-hazel in the United States are traditionally commonly chosen, as are branches from willow or peach trees. I located a spot 20 feet farther away from the river, and the driller hit 40 gallons per min, ute when he went down 30 feet. Many dowsers prefer forked sticks made from willow, peach, or witch hazel wood. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); There is groundwater almost everywhere on earth, so anybody collecting money for this is a sly dog. Theres just not that much luck to be found. If this true please explain why I have had the bark peel off in my hands trying to stop the movement! When its local I charge nothing because I tell them from the beginning there is no guarantee. A forked branch, or iron rod is a common tool that is used in water witching, also known as dowsing. Dowsers often use a dowsing stick, pendulums, or even water dowsing rods. The article is in The News commercial, Wednesday, June21,2017. When professional consultations are required or preferred, the landowner must make a decision. I know it works I use it nearly everyday. Riana Mondavi explains the mysterious art of water witching, a craft her father Marc Mondavi uses to locate water for vineyards for The Divining Rod wines. However, according to Jim Rickords of Sonoma County, a fresh willow branch is the best tool to use due to it's natural "thirst" for water. According to the American Society of Dowsers, divining the location of water dates back many millennia. Two right angle rods will cross in front of you pointing in the direction to walk. It can and does work. Using a green willow branch Babs Ballard looks for the flow of water near a well she previously discovered on Swauk Prairie Wednesday . That well was 50 gpm at 100 foot depth. Some are close to the surfaceperhaps only 40 to 100 feet deepwhile others are several hundred feet deep. Definitely right of center. It depends on the location and the severity of the drought, but usually it's between $75 and $200. On the spirtual side of this however Grandpa was descended from a Scotsman. I can hit water here about every time! Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, however in quantum physics we DO know that what we can sense with our 5 basic senses, can only perceive about 5% of reality, while the 95% is super-natural or beyond the 5 senses. Ive had the person Ive witched for try it. I use welding rods first, to see if theres water, and where, or several possible locations on the property, he says. 3 of 8 4 of 8 Marc Mondavi, vice president of Charles Krug Winery and a water witch, holds his copper diving rods on Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 in St. Helena, Calif. Russell Yip/The Chronicle Show More . My Grandfarther was a well digger and I saw him use a forked stick from willow trees to find the best place to dig a well. He said it was the dangest thing he's ever seen. Warning be careful if you try that with opposite sex. Local drilling companies often have the experience of drilling hundreds or thousands of wells in the areas where they operate. He said he knew of those locations and there were others on my land. I believe those were well drillers,not well diggers. As a practice dating back to the ancient Egyptians and . The dowser walks through the field with the dowsing rod. Even found well water for our church in the last year. AFC 1999/008: CRF-MH-A071. I use the same approach to find wells, water lines, and power lines. Sometimes, the towns are really far away so you're out for eight hours and you make $200 . There was no way to fake this experiment. Where are you located DryCreek? The depth is what I need for wells. After locating water with the coat hangers I used a willow branch about 3 foot long and about a quarter inch dia. As I walked passed the pipe, they kept crossing. 3) The combination of the flowing water as a good conductor of electricity, the + and of the clay particles form and develop Clay veins or clay conduit (pipe). What Is Dowsing? I can do it but only with bare brazing rods for whatever reason. 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. This gives a solid base of support to hold the willow securely and firmly as you walk slowly over the area to be checked. He witched and said there was an underground river but extremely deep. But, to each his own. Dig somewhere between the flags. Cindy, just reading this looking for a witcher or dowser. The wire is magnetically attracted to that point. When I locate water for someone, I show them how to hold the rods and try it, he says. I have located a few places to drill a well. Thanks. So he recommended they call me, Lynn says. Water well witching with wood fits into this 95%, just like angels, demons, or the rest of reality that you cant see. And yet I know people that can do it. I hired 3 dowsers to witch my property. Very profound for someone who is very skeptical. Ha Ha. But the tip of the stick bends first. Some types of rocks are known to be good producers of water, whereas others will not hold or yield useful water. Son scoffs, he can't do it but I tell him it's because he doesn't believe it works. In fact, historical images that appear to represent dowsing appear all over the worldin the temples of Egyptian pharaohs, in ancient Chinese etchings and more. When it comes to modern-day water witching, I suppose digital imaging and water sniffing drones will win . No one knows why dowsing worksor if, indeed, it does work. I cant be that far from you. water witching synonyms, water witching pronunciation, water witching translation, English dictionary definition of water witching. Thats important if you wish to irrigate or if you want it for drinking water. Not a drop. The idea is that, as the diviner walks, the rod held in this position will suddenly jerk . He has found many water veins and can also do graves. In ancient times, it used to be relatively easy to come up with rudimental water dowsing . But I really dont know. You need lots of experience to no how far below surface but simple training exercise makes believers out of doubters. Water Witching is derived from the word witching and it referred to a magic charm that was used to draw or discover water. In fact, when California was in the middle of their worst drought, they turned to local dowsers to uncover hidden sources of water. Water-witching for Wanderers (and Wonderers) invited the public to engage with Calgary's community of Quarry Park, the site of a former gravel pit, through dowsing. Sure enough, the second stream really has good flow. Had well digger out there and only found 6 dry holes I knew the area was hard place to find water in. It may have to do with the height at which Im holding stick from the ground and Im still trying to work that out but it will blow you away when you experience that stick moving as I have described. He ended up finding a spot and told them definitely enough water in this spot for an irrigation well. Use a length of 1 inch (2.5 cm) dowel rod, with a hole through the center. For some it works and others not. When I backed up, they crossed in reverse. I never pushed it in more than twice to hit clay tile. Finding Bodies of Water. Hold the rods steady in your hands. Over the last century, several studies have shown that the average dowser is no better at predicting the location of water than anyone else. There is something to that. My mom could do this..we called them water witches. senior writer. I try to stay local. Be present. Friend said try witching the pipes. When I was young I helped an old neighbor track a tile line all the way across his farm. The well driller drilled 120 feet at that spot and got 18 gallons a minute. Dowsing rods point toward you when you are directly over water. But many have been 300 feet deep or more. I went in and grabbed the copper rods and just like mentioned above the rods would cross when I walked across the area where my husband then excavated and found the line. Of you use geology and science they will not guarantee anything either. I have been dowsing for 50 years with complete success. Never tried any grave work. i belivedit he used a peach branch. During this studys 10-year research period, researchers paired up experienced geologists and dowsers, sending them to dry regions like Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Yemen. Dowsing for water pipes could sometimes work this way: When those pipes were buried, someone had to guess how much dirt to throw back into the trench. I wont lie to them if I feel I dont recognize a water vein. It has to be underground. He also told me how to measure depth & gal per min. In this Aug. 7, 2012 photo, Randy Grebke of Kohnen Concrete Products, demonstrates how he locates underground water by holding two copper wires while on a well drilling site in Huey, Ill. Water is not always where youd expect. Dowsing, in general terms, is the art of finding hidden things. A federal publication entitled The Divining Rod : a . True Story. If I were going to pay for a wellwhich today in our area costs about $90 per foot to drillId want someone to locate the water.. Or you may find it next to a river rather than on the uplands far from a river, but this isnt always true. To tie into a tile line we had put in 1970 I remembered close to where it was so I witched it and pointed out where it should be. Kioti RX6620PS. The village maintenance crew (3 of them) were all downers. It baffles me as to how it works. Two attempts to drill, both dry holes. It works! Some real estate agents in our valley ask him to check properties before offering them for sale, to make sure there is water. I use a steel wire as my tool. Later I told a highly skeptic friend who insisted I show him. Hydrogeologists often examine aerial photos when siting a well in a challenging area. After about 15 seconds or so the stuck will begin to Bob up and down. I find lost Septic Tanks and Septic Drain Fields, Leaking Pond Dams, Spring Water for Cattle watering Systems and wet Spring produced wet areas in Lawns and Cropfields. If youd like to try dowsing for yourself, its really quite simple. One of the longest-running of these disagreements centers on dowsing, a supposed sixth sense that enables people to find underground water using a forked branch, pendulum or pair of bent wires . It worked for me using a peach tree fork. He had a small well that was surface water coming from a small dam but the output would decrease during times of drought, so he spent a lot of time and money drilling for a better, drinkable water source. Of course with permission. The willow tree is naturally found around lakes or ponds because is it a water loving tree. Thank you, Michael, Hi, I am a 3rd Generation Water-Witch. One rancher was so grateful he paid Lynn $100. He found out wher they crossed each other then he put the ends in his one hand and held it over where he said they crossed, the end of the Y started bobbing up and down, each bob was a foot. Dowsing may be done with a "dowsing rod" or "divining rod" (Latin Virgula Divina, German Wnschelrute ). Early 1900 's per min getting near the spot, and it starts up. Young i helped an old neighbor track a tile line all the way across farm! Forked stick and the bobbing starts again with wires and water lines, and it referred to magic. 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