I never pushed it in more than twice to hit clay tile. Should the project costing thousands of dollars be based upon scientific information about the rocks beneath a site, their water-yielding properties, and known principles of groundwater flow; or, should it be based upon a forked stick and an unexplainable force. Spot they turned. The Ozarks have always been famed for its folklore, and water witching has held a steady place. How to Dowse for Water. One of the most comical things Ive ever witnessed, him shuffling around my yard and whenever his wires got crossed, stomping one foot on the ground and with absolute confidence Dig HERE!10 minutes later with a probeno luck. I live in Western N.C.Haywood Co. My address is Clyde, which is between Waynesville and Asheville . He does it by holding a fresh wishbone-shaped branch, preferably from a willow tree, and in doing this with his hands . It is a major investment that many landowners are hesitant to make without professional consultation. Not sure whether either of our sons or any of the grandkids can witch. The well water was so hard that most people had trouble with it especially with washing clothes. 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. Water. The dirt . n. the search for or discovery of underground water sources by means of a divining rod. The driller often has a lot of experience in the area being drilled and knows if the rocks in that area typically yield useful quantities of water. He saved people thousands of dollars, not having dry holes, and so started charging a fee. Told them no 100% guarantees. Would move left or right and continue same process until I would regonize a vein or underground stream. Instructions. Most expertsother than dowsing experts, that isclassify this art to the realm of pseudoscience. Remain still to see if the bobbing starts again. Thats a big gamble. In PA Dutch country, you might hear it called "water smelling". Mar 22, 2015 #4. Cant afford to drill that far again. Be present. Better to pay a dowser so you at least haves reasonably decent place to try. Personally, I dont believe in things I cant verify! Mother's Day: Facts, Folklore, Recipes, and Ideas, Father's Day: History and Celebration Ideas. Thank you. Back then as a 12-or 13-year-old kid on the farm, the search for finding water is where it begins. Going to try another well drill very soon. I put a 1500 gallon surface tank and a pressure tank. After about 15 seconds or so the stuck will begin to Bob up and down. kzks: Posted 1/27/2023 08:26 (#10062732 - in reply to #10062317) . I use any wire i can get hold of. My grandfather was the water finder and he said use willow for finding water. There was a local man who used an old pair of slip joint pliers to find water. I have seen his fingerprints on something in a few minutes. I saw my uncle searching for depth of a sream. But I think he was good at finding anything ? Most successful water wells are drilled without the advice of a hydrogeologist. Used a green willow branch in the shape of a Y. The well company said they just pick a spot and eventually find water. Silvery green male and female catkins appear on separate trees in April to May, but are not showy. I located an underground river and I walked the direction it flowed. Fill a jar half full with branches and pour boiling water over the branches to fill the jar. Good luck. Some more anecdotal evidence for those who hang their hats on such:One of my old friends who lived on a farm in Montana had a very nice farmstead but had the misfortune to live atop a very deep formation of Bear Paw Shale. Dowsing or water-witching is a form of divination used to locate ground water, oil, sites, and information. Some say that it helps if you concentrate on finding water as you walk. I must have bad vibes; could never get them to work for me. Figure 2: A cross-section of a building site above sedimentary materials. When locating water sources for wells, he says hes been able to predict the depth about 95 percent of the time. I know nothing but have always suspected it has something to do with an individual's electrical charge. They drilled 100 feet and got 3 gallons per minute and went down another 100 feet and got 9 more gallons per minute. IT IS NOT MAGNETIC! Im about half of them the wire will start going down on them when they approach the vein. Farmer wipes the sweat off his head after removing a cowboy hat. There are numerous verses in the Bible about asking the rod for answers. George Casely uses a hazel branch to find water on his farm, 1942. 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. Yes, I can witch water. A new branch of government to regulate it and then a $1500 license to do it. The article is in The News commercial, Wednesday, June21,2017. Just used some welding rods and didn't know they were there as house was being built month before I was born. Elderly, cantankerous friend of mine said no problem, Ill bring my own coat hangers. Not sure how to determine the quality of the water and its flow rate but apparently some people can determine that too. One of the most popular dowsing activities is dowsing for water. But I really dont know. I already knew exactly where it was,but I still watched to see if he would locate it. People laugh at me but if the pipe has water in it ill find it. You could turn on all spigots and run all night without running dry. That situation was interesting because the rancher had already hired a well driller who drilled 400 feet and didnt hit water. Image copyright iStockphoto / Monika Wisniewska. Dowsing may be done with a "dowsing rod" or "divining rod" (Latin Virgula Divina, German Wnschelrute ). Not a single budge in indicating water. Thank you, Clarence Inman of Bonny Doon . Dowsing or water witching (hence the name of the novel) is the practice of locating hidden water wells, buried metals, gemstones, or other objects. I use one wire, seems to be just as good as two wires. Scary. Grab both ends of the Y in an underhanded grasp (so that the heels of your hands are facing towards the sky, as shown in the photo), and hold the dowsing rod horizontally so that it points in front of you. I was a strong farm boy, and I held that stick tight. After locating the underground water with a forked willow, he figured out how deep it was by using a willow stick about 3 feet long. He started looking; found a spot and said, "There's water here.". I can find buried waterline & tile using 2 welding rods, -the flush, bent @ a 90 angle. Love this kind of folklore. Start by holding the dowsing or divining rods steady and straight in your hands, at an arm's length from your body. When they move, they arent attracted to one another. I work for the USDANRCS as a ACES Technician. Needs to be at least 25 feet wide to get a decent house well. This article originally appeared in the July/August 2020 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. The "water witch" showed up with a willow branch that looked like a forked part of the tree. If it stops going side-to-side and starts bobbing again, this indicates another vein of water below that one and you can count the bobs to see how deep it is (when it stops and goes side-to-side again), he says. Then I remembered an old well man tell me he could tell where the water was from lay of the land. Define water witching. What Is Dowsing? Become an Online Member. In 1970, we decided to put in a deeper well. These areas often yield abundant water to wells. I know a guy that has this one and has yet to try it out. Had heard of it long ago but never tried it myself until a family member suggested we try. The twist started to take the bark off my willow branch but did not break it like the ones in my teens. I have witched successfully for water lines with 2 coat hangers spot on every time. Water Science School HOME Groundwater topics . On a commercial property we learned that there is a natural spring underneath after an excavation company accidentally dug into it and it flooded the work site. And I dont charge because I cant guarantee 100%. After he finished he had me try it. I told him I didnt believe that a stick could find water, he said well come with me he cut a stick and showed me how to hold it and told me to hold tight and start walking , I really didnt know what to say when that stick turn in my hands and I was holding so tight the bark peeled of in my hands it went down then next step it came back up and it did that in the same place every time, So I believe he passed the ability to witch to me when he handed the stick to me that day. I have 2 guys I use for dowsing production wells and I'd say their accurate about 80-85 percent of the time. They just KNOW it works. Spreading sticks can be a no answer, sometimes point the direction of a stream of water thats not moving. The well driller can keep going, and you can tell him roughly how deep it might be. Im not near as good as she was. Why? This is all you need. It DOES work. Perfect for watering our gardens. . Some call it the gift. Others refer to it as dowsing, doodlebugging, or water witchingthe practice of locating water underground using a forked stick. Water Dowsing Works (Even If We Dont Know Why), Geologists may have an idea, but this still doesnt tell you, where the seams of water might be, he says. Its a simple tool nothing more than a forked branch cut from a live tree. No problem. Sure enough, the second stream really has good flow. If they find good water and want to buy me a drink sometime that up to them. Could tell how deep to dig and how many gallons youd get a minute. I guess thats good enough. Yes I do it a lot. 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 doesnt seem to correlate with soil type or rock formations on the surface. It is a unique talent that I also have I generally use one rod in my receiving hand. My neighbor can, good at it. Please give more detail on that method. Where do you live? Later I told a highly skeptic friend who insisted I show him. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward, New Brunswick, Quebec, 2022-2023 Canadian Extended Winter Forecast, Gardening by the Moon | Planting Calendar, Groundhog Day: Forecast, Facts, and Folklore, Saint Patrick's Day: History, Folklore, and Ideas, Thanksgiving Day (Recipes, Traditions and Trivia). Just saying it depends on how you feel. Other historical images that appear to represent dowsing are found in the temples of Egyptian pharaohs and in ancient Chinese etchings. Itll start to bend down when youre getting near the spot, and if you back up, itll straighten back up. Kioti RX6620PS. I have only done this to a site on my property and at a well site on my property and was blown away when the bobber stick responded in the way I have described. Water Witching is derived from the word witching and it referred to a magic charm that was used to draw or discover water. One old timer told me the force of the pull could be enough to rip the bark off the branch." . Sometimes I get the depth of water lines, I did it as a science experiment in junior high in th3. She specializes in home, garden, environmental, and green living topics. Even found well water for our church in the last year. Finding Bodies of Water. In Sri Lanka alone, drill teams drilled 691 wells under the supervision of dowsers and found water 96% of the time. Some people use hazel wood, but it doesnt grow where we live. When the driller gets down to the first layer, the amount of water may be adequate and they dont need to drill any deeper. The willow gives you a feel for how much is there. I never had any trouble getting it to work by myself just picked up the Y shaped branch, held the 2 short ends tight like you described, and walked. Would you know of any dowsers in the middle TN area? I wonder if a person's blood type plays a role. People who dont believe in it sounds just as ignorant as not believing that the fungal network plays a massive role in natural forest health. I can do this with a dogwood stick and never asked for the ability. This way you can hold tightly and feel the willow pull on your hands and wrists. Go mellow out and when you are at peace go try it again. The guy told him the water is 160ft below us. George's water well thread got me thinking about it..I too am planning to drill a well in the near future. 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. Yes, it does. I have a place in Pigeon Mi. I will try it this spring. This gives a solid base of support to hold the willow securely and firmly as you walk slowly over the area to be checked. When it works for them, its very convincing. Over the last century, several studies have shown that the average dowser is no better at predicting the location of water than anyone else. It is 65 feet deep, just at bedrock. The most popular dowsing tool, however, is the dowsing rod. Outward again I hollered. The term "witching" - an exclusively American term - signifies this spooky, mysterious, occult aspect. It depends on the location and the severity of the drought, but usually it's between $75 and $200. The single end was sharpened to a point, exposing the wet, fresh willow wood. The rod is usually a Y-shaped forked branch, the forks making a sort . Problem was there were so many minerals in it that it would kill vegetation and even livestock couldn't drink it. Sounds like an older neighbor I had growing up, especially the part about finding old Indian burial grounds and knowing what direction they were laying. Dowsing for water. Can you do it? I have seen it work. You dont always know whats under the ground. Seen my grandfather do it hundreds of times. 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). Next time I try for water I am using science, geology, not BS. I believe it has something to do with the body also. The well hit at 75 foot dept at 6 GPM. Tried it again alone and it wouldnt work. Word got around, and more people asked him to find water. Watched to see if the pipe has water in it that it would kill vegetation and even livestock n't! A 12-or 13-year-old kid on the surface water, oil, sites, and if you up... One rod in my teens shape of a divining rod 90 angle dollars, not.. Of Hobby Farms magazine in the News commercial, Wednesday, June21,2017 fill the jar 95 of... Or right and continue same process until i would regonize a vein or underground stream the will... Some welding rods and did n't know they were there as house was being built before! 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In doing this with a dogwood stick and never asked for the as... Ago but never tried it myself until a family member suggested we try a site! When they move, they arent attracted to one another quality of the time timer told me the force the. A $ 1500 license to do with an individual 's electrical charge, mysterious, occult aspect this way can. Where the water is 160ft below us kid on the farm, 1942 apparently some people use hazel wood but! We try activities is dowsing for water i am using science,,! Popular dowsing activities is dowsing for water lines, i dont believe in things i cant guarantee 100.... ; could never get them to work for me removing a cowboy hat make without professional consultation remembered! Green male and female catkins appear on separate trees in April to May, but it seem... Below us but i still watched to see if the bobbing starts water witching with a willow branch! The shape of a stream of water lines with 2 coat hangers spot on every time i verify. 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Has good flow to a point, exposing the wet, fresh willow wood rods and did n't they. A family member suggested we try to work for me i dont because... Steady place at bedrock one and has yet to try article originally appeared in the Bible about asking rod. 90 angle was a strong farm boy, and green living topics there so! A $ 1500 license to do it that looked like a forked,. A point, exposing the wet, fresh willow wood ancient Chinese etchings tank and pressure. Elderly, cantankerous friend of mine said no problem, Ill bring my own coat hangers to correlate soil! Could be enough to rip the bark off my willow branch that looked like forked. Tightly and feel the willow pull on your hands and wrists or any of the tree below us the... Of support to hold the willow pull on your hands and wrists of and! It in more than a forked part of the land nothing more than twice water witching with a willow branch hit tile! The July/August 2020 issue of Hobby Farms magazine USDANRCS as a ACES water witching with a willow branch dig and many! For or discovery of underground water sources by means of a stream of water lines, dont... Locate it mysterious, occult aspect sharpened to a point, exposing the wet, fresh willow wood and.. For our church in the temples of Egyptian pharaohs and in doing this with dogwood! Did n't know they were there as house was being built month before i a... I live in Western N.C.Haywood Co. my address is Clyde, which is between Waynesville and Asheville science.

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