And sometimes people who are interested in a certain property ask him to find water before they decide to buy it. Keep your grasp somewhat loose and slowly walk around searching for water. It was dead on and worked backwards and forwards. Our back yard was our an acre and our front was probably around a quarter. My dad would swear by the witching sticks. . I have told them that there doesnt seem to be water on their acreage they wish to have well on. my dad is gone now , but every now and then i cut a branch just to show how its done. . I dont know how it works but it does. 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. The practice continues to be used today, in some cities in Canada. Yes, I can witch water. The most common divining rod is a Y-shaped branch cut from a tree or bush. But I really dont know. They are simply uneducated on the matter. I'm in Lincoln county. Also taught somebbiy scouts how to do it. A good amount of the time, city records are not updated to show where lines are. As per usual, I put little to no faith in anecdotal evidence. He also located the geothermal lines that were near the drill site. "Dowsing," "water witching," "divining," and "doodlebugging" are all names for the practice of locating groundwater by walking the surface of a property while holding a forked stick, a pair of L-shaped rods, a pendulum, or another tool that responds when the person moves above a location that will yield an adequate flow of water to a drilled well (see Figure 1). A high percentage of people can get the rods to cross on a water pipe or a bottle hiden under a floor or something. As years went by I found out to be more successful at it I needed to find a vein. Sometimes, the towns are really far away so you're out for eight hours and you make $200 . Source Collection. I drilled wells for 45 years. She has used witching sticks with very good results. 62 years later I still recall the weird experience of the willow branch twisting the bark as it pulled down. Remove and compost all of the leaves and cut the branches into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Lots of info out there on his tests and such if you want to research. Local drilling companies often have the experience of drilling hundreds or thousands of wells in the areas where they operate. 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. I also can use a pendulum to find water on a map. Theres just not that much luck to be found. He was born in Pipestone, Manitoba in 1933. His son & daughter can both find tile & waterlines as well. 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. He was a professional magician who billed himself as, "The Amazing Randy". I tested this on an existing well site and the numbers did not come out right and matching the well log as to the depth of water. Using a willow branch, dowsers would locate ground water without the . getting clear responses with a forked willow branch and with L-shaped metal rods .more. It may sound like some rather hokey hocus-pocus, or something from, say, 500 years ago. I havent tried finding pipes and cables but think it would be fun to try. Could tell how deep to dig and how many gallons youd get a minute. He lived in Star Valley Wyoming, and when he was younger was often sought out by others in the community to help then locate a good location to drill a well. Remain still to see if the bobbing starts again. They want to drill a successful well, close to their house, where the cost of installing water lines and an electrical conduit will be minimal and where a drilling rig can be easily driven. Other words and phrases that refer to this process include: doodlebugging, divining and water witching, willow witching. . Wires going apart can be an old road bed. They know they are not doing something to make those rods move.. Some dowsers prefer branches from particular trees, and some prefer the branches to be freshly cut. Lynn counts each time it bobs, and each bob represents about a foot of depth. Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove compartment of your car. "Water dowsing" refers in general to the practice of using a forked stick, rod, pendulum, or similar device to locate underground water, minerals, or other hidden or lost substances, and has been a subject of discussion and controversy for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Many took him up on his challenges but none were ever able to prove their mystical claims. He saved people thousands of dollars, not having dry holes, and so started charging a fee. Trying to locate buried utilities under an overhead line doesn't work for me. Figure 1: A person using a forked-stick dowsing rod in a field. 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. Of course with permission. My dad wit hed for water for over 50 years. (By the way, to water witch has nothing to do with Wicca, although there are Wiccans who. I can do it sometimes. Has to be a forked limb from a willow or fruit tree. Love this kind of folklore. Usually, this is accomplished with the aid of a dowsing stick, rods or a pendulum. Because the same types of rocks are usually present beneath that small area. The same person Im referring to witched a section for my dad back in the 90s and told him not to waste his money drilling test holes for irrigation. He has been consistent enough over the years that it does work and it is not witchcraft or anything of the sort. 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]. The problem is, the water line running to our hydrant goes right under our working chute. might have some false positives! I wont lie to them if I feel I dont recognize a water vein. Going to try another well drill very soon. Count the number of bobs until it stops. Two right angle rods will cross in front of you pointing in the direction to walk. Yes, it does. I use wires but only one will move. i belivedit he used a peach branch. The wires cross, or separate, when I walk over underground water pipes or electric pipes. True Story. Search Dowsing rods and I'd say it must have some merit. Serviced 4 inside taps, dishwasher and laundry as well as yard irrigation without ever running low. I tried again when my sister had a piece of farm ground. Later I told a highly skeptic friend who insisted I show him. 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. Why does the weeping willow root system expand so widely? Would you know of any dowsers in the middle TN area? I know Jesus Christ as my lord and Savior. He looked at me. Itll start to bend down when youre getting near the spot, and if you back up, itll straighten back up. Read more:Ever wonder why there needs to be a pump at the bottom of a deep well? Well, after they dug at that spot, he was amazed that they found the water they needed pretty close to the projected depth. Might be something to that theory. Of course, this can be estimated by looking at the neighbors well logs available at the county office. I did all of a sudden they went down. Many took him up on his challenges but none were ever able to prove their mystical claims.Hmmmm, imagine that. I can witch water and find water lines with forked stick or metal hangers, this begin when I was 9 or 10 years old my grandfather was the one who found where water was for everyone who lived near us or for people who ask him to. 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. After finding a spot, I use a forked willow to see if thered be enough water for a good well. Other historical images that appear to represent dowsing are found in the temples of Egyptian pharaohs and in ancient Chinese etchings. . Well driller use divining willow branch to locate the spot to drill for water during the long drought in Western USA. Only some people have this ability. I can walk across a field using the wire. He was correct. Dowsing tools include a variety of things, such as pendulums, car keys, wire rods, coat hangers and pliers. Then it just stopped and floated nicely in the water. Harvest young branches of a willow tree, ideally first-year growth. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023. Long story short Dad drilled a bunch of test holes anyway that turned up little to nothing at best. There was no way to fake that. For the bobber stick (to determine depth of water), Lynn uses a dowsing willow about 3 feet long but small and light. I go out with my #9 piece of wire and hop in their pickup. Good luck. My grandfather was the water finder and he said use willow for finding water. A single rod spinning in a circle is usually a great spot, but Im not sure what it means. The man acting as "witch" held the branch by the fork ends with the point sticking straight out in front of him. Word got around, and more people asked him to find water. I can hit water here about every time! Nothing to lose for $200-$400. Some people use hazel wood, but it doesnt grow where we live. I've also had success finding graves. But I do know that God can take all things and turn them for good. Favorite Jung & Johnnys Seeds For Your 2023 Garden, Winter Sowing The Spring Vegetable Garden. Go mellow out and when you are at peace go try it again. My email is djcwhite@comcast.net I would GREATLY appreciate any help in locating one around here. Typically, the person that is dowsing holds sticks or rods and walks around a property in the hopes that the rods will dip, twitch, or cross . "Dowsing," "water witching," "divining," and "doodlebugging" are all names for the practice of locating groundwater by walking the surface of a property while holding a forked stick, a pair of L-shaped rods, a pendulum, or another tool that responds when the person moves above a location that will yield an adequate flow of water to a drilled well (see Figure 1). Dowsing or water witching (hence the name of the novel) is the practice of locating hidden water wells, buried metals, gemstones, or other objects. Lynn uses willow because its plentiful, but hes also used chokecherry branches. 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. If a landowner wants a well drilled within a hundred or so feet of a building site, almost any location selected will have similar potential for yielding water to a well. Perfect for watering our gardens. Both wells support a small community. I'm not sure how to take your opinion on these abilities described above. "Divining" is referenced in the south, adding a magical aspect. I personally use a dowser to decide where to put plants. Whoops, I misspelled his name. Each has their own benefits and downfalls. Enough with the energies and superstitions and but it worked for me anecdotes. My mother's uncle could do it. When professional consultations are required or preferred, the landowner must make a decision. 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. I have located a few places to drill a well. He says the cemetery located is located on private land near Seminary, Ms. at a place calledPeps Point that dates to the 1800s. . When he walks over a water source, the long end swings in the direction the water is flowing. It doesnt seem to correlate with soil type or rock formations on the surface. There was no way to fake this experiment. It's hit and miss for me with wires and water lines. Hell no, I went with the pick of the most highly recommended dowser. 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