Even tried over water bed & wands turned out. Make sure the rod ends are not tipped upward or downward. He held it by the small end and let it bob up and down until it stopped bobbing and swung side-to-side. The welding rods locate water but dont tell you how much. My dad could find an underground stream with a willow switch, same with my uncle. Had a well driller challenge me, we both located the same places. My father took a shovel, and dug straight down at the point where the rods pointed at each other, hit the pipe, busted it open and fixed the issue with our main. I personally use a dowser to decide where to put plants. The village maintenance crew (3 of them) were all downers. Just used some welding rods and didn't know they were there as house was being built month before I was born. I've read through this whole thread. I can't tell the depth though. So he said, explain that one to find water in the middle of a field and enough for an irriigation well when they had already dug a few dry test holes. In the cellar was the old hand dug well beneath the living room floor.When that branch points down it will nearly break if you try to hold it back,,strange as strange gets..Have not tried in decades but I am sure it will work still.. Maybe the liberals could through a multimillon$ grant out there to research the issue or outlaw it ? If I can teach 9 yr old to do it anyone can do it following this simple technique. The blue line marks the subsurface location of the water table. Not a drop of wqter. I have witched successfully for water lines with 2 coat hangers spot on every time. Not sure whether either of our sons or any of the grandkids can witch. My religion says that if we are doing something for a good purpose then its alright. I seem to find them occasionally with the backhoe ?? I just tried it over a running faucet of water, pinpoint straight with perfect 90 degree bends just like every video show online. Spot they turned. When we bought our farm in Ohio, in 1966,it only had a hand dug cistern. He would open the pliers pointing them straight up and they would get pulled out of his hands over a good well spot. The twist started to take the bark off my willow branch but did not break it like the ones in my teens. This is widely known.. Need to check it out this spring and see how many witches we have in the family. They have learned through this experience the parts of their service area where wells with adequate amounts of quality water are usually encountered. An old well striker gave me the cut coat hangers l shaped said walk around. 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. It worked for me using a peach tree fork. He has located numerous water lines on my farm since I bought it when I wanted to install hydrants or cattle drinks. 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. Your dowsing rod should also be relatively flatno branches sticking out in odd directions. my dad is gone now , but every now and then i cut a branch just to show how its done. I honestly didnt believe until that rod practically jumped out of my hand to point downward. I can`t do it myself, but have seen it done, and it does work. They found an old hand dug tile. Have never tried it much more than a few times over a known water line where I live. This information is very useful in determining the probability of drilling success on a nearby property. The people buried there are relatives of his. Lynn likes to use a green willow, but even a relatively dry one will work . Some people use two metal rods called divining rods or even wire. But I think he was good at finding anything ? It can be very difficult to drill successful wells in some areas underlain by thick cavernous limestone. Locating and drilling into a good water supply can be difficult in areas underlain by igneous rocks such as granite and basalt. The "water witch" showed up with a willow branch that looked like a forked part of the tree. Daylight Saving: When Does the Time Change? Im not a doubter. Ever wonder why there needs to be a pump at the bottom of a deep well. 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. Subsequently Ive located running water multiple times. I dont know how it works but it does. He witched and said there was an underground river but extremely deep. Still more say that this art is nothing more than a clever hoax. And the hole was dry at 520 feet. At the big end. The well water was so hard that most people had trouble with it especially with washing clothes. Although she passed away in 1989..Ive grown up on this well as Ive lived here since and its where I grew upknock on wood, I hope it holds up for the rest of my life! Wells drilled throughout the area will penetrate the same materials and have a high probability of yielding water. Try it yourself ,grab couple pieces of thin wire or other metal, bend it to fit your hands at approximately 90 degrees and walk across your lawn ,find the water meter in the street and that runs in a straight line to your first hose bib. It will save a lot of backhoe time. just bought some rods for dousing. Even found well water for our church in the last year. Also then count the side to side movements to determine the depth of the second vein. I'm in Lincoln county. In Europe and northeastern US, it is known as dowsing. He always witched or dowsed before drilling. . The practice continues to be used today, in some cities in Canada. I'm not sure where he was originally from, but he'd lived here for probably at least 50 years. It has to be underground. 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. Dowsing for water. I do not have the ability but was told my Grandmother witched a lot of wells in the early 1900's. My dad would swear by the witching sticks. I walk to that point and when I get to the exact point my wire will turn in the direction of the underground water vein. There is an article in our newspaper re: a man finding an ancient cemetary by dousing. There are numerous verses in the Bible about asking the rod for answers. I do not have the ability but was told my Grandmother witched a lot of wells in the early 1900's. When I was 7 we had a neighbor locate the buried water lines on a new farm. Its a simple tool nothing more than a forked branch cut from a live tree. Figure 3: A drawing from De Re Metallica, by Georgius Agricola, published in 1556. Im not near as good as she was. One of his relatives used a forked willow to locate the origins of a spring that provided the house with water. My cousin showed me how. I too can find electrical and water lines. 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. 3) have kids walk with rod in each hand over hose/cord starting about 6 feet back from it. It doesnt work on a tap. All I know is my experience with water witching. The technique requires the dowser to hold in his hands a forked green willow branch (or a pair of bent brass rods, or any number of other permutations), then walk about, waiting for the device, also called a divining rod, to dip toward . It may sound like some rather hokey hocus-pocus, or something from, say, 500 years ago. He had me try and the stick would pull me to the ground when I walked across it. But on occasion there might be more.. No water after 4-5 days of drilling. This will indicate the depth to the next vein of water if one exists. I believe it has something to do with the body also. Data from controlled studies is proof this is nothing more than stuff and nonsense. Would be curious if life expectancy or health issues differ from those who can and can't. The guy's name was Lee Modrow, I think he was around 90 when he passed away a few years ago. I use one wire, seems to be just as good as two wires. 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. My email is djcwhite@comcast.net I would GREATLY appreciate any help in locating one around here. The pull is very obvious. You need lots of experience to no how far below surface but simple training exercise makes believers out of doubters. Figure 1: A person using a forked-stick dowsing rod in a field. Combining the two levels made a good well.. Local drug store stocks both. My husband and I moved upstate n.y. 14 years ago. They drilled 100 feet and got 3 gallons per minute and went down another 100 feet and got 9 more gallons per minute. Winter Solstice: When is it, and What is it? 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. It's hit and miss for me with wires and water lines. Ive seen guys use that method to drive around on a place and find a good general area for I hunt in. I wish to have contacts of dowsers abroad. 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. Son scoffs, he can't do it but I tell him it's because he doesn't believe it works. This process hasnt failed me yet. 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. Pea Ridge Graphic, 1966. You can also use apple or peach branches for water dowsing. Mar 27, 2017. 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. . I wanted to do some work and didn't want to hit it, so I got in touch and they sent out their pipe-finder technician guy. MIKE JOHNSTON. Only some people have this ability. 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. And I dont charge because I cant guarantee 100%. #4. Tell them to dig in center. For those outside Indiana, Purdue University produces engineers and top notch farmers. They swing away from you when you walk past it. 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 . My job was to push in the tile probe. I can't find a water vein underground, but I can find underground wires and pipes. He demonstrated with a single branch held loosely in one hand. He called me a one-armed water Witcher. A single rod spinning in a circle is usually a great spot, but Im not sure what it means. 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. Some buy me one some dont. Old Man Joneswas THE guy you wanted to drill for water well when I was a kid. Be open. Thank you. The ends of the forked branch are held one in each hand, with your wrists and palms facing upward, and the stem of the Y pointing straight ahead and slightly upward.. It took a while to learn how to hold them loosely while balancing them. Feller wanted me to come over and dig up his old well head. 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. Mrs. J. P. Pendergrass, of Raleigh, N.C., does her witching in suburban Laurel Hills. 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. Aug 26, 2007 Aug 26, 2007 Updated Jan 31, 2020; 0; Facebook; Twitter; . When the willow twists, the part pointed forward and upward suddenly pulls down toward the ground. There is no debate. I believe those were well drillers,not well diggers. There are usually only two levels, because Ive located where they cross. I could actually feel the pull inside me. It's a very strong response. I use any wire i can get hold of. Could find water. Closer to center as possible. Water witching, practiced all over the world, involves using a Y-shaped stick, a "divining rod," to find underground water. Never tried any grave work. Seen my grandfather do it hundreds of times. Some real estate agents in our valley ask him to check properties before offering them for sale, to make sure there is water. Many successful wells are drilled without the cost of a dowser or a hydrogeologist. Some of the neighbors have been told that. Nothing to be ashamed of, but its better to ask around and find credible folks if possible. 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 . 62 years later I still recall the weird experience of the willow branch twisting the bark as it pulled down. "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). One rancher was so grateful he paid Lynn $100. The guy told him the water is 160ft below us. Coal River Folklife Collection (AFC 1999/008) Repository. Some underground streams pop out as springs near the tops of high mountains, possibly following the folds, layers and up-thrusts when the mountains were formed. Trying to locate buried utilities under an overhead line doesn't work for me. Go try your rods on your house power line or gas line. If it pulls hard, you know theres a lot of water. As I walked passed the pipe, they kept crossing. "The small end, where you are holding it, is less than 1/4 inch in diameter," he says. Hed hold it with his arm out and after a while the weight would start to swing back and forth. Read 403 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. I guessed at a spot and they dug down 300ft. I drilled wells for 45 years. No scientist or anyone else is telling me its nonsense! Seems odd when well driller keeps finding dry holes and up to 6-7 at times and the landowners ask me to come and I find one the first time with my trusty #9 wire. 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). He said he gets 40 gallons a minute. Works good for both water And tile lines. Old style dowsers and water witches in the United States prefer branches from the witch-hazel, willow, or peach tree and often favor rods of freshly cut or green wood because "wet wood recognizes water." The dowser holds the Y-shaped dowsing rod with one short end of the Y in each hand and the long end of the Y pointing forward. 50+ years later that well is still going and has the cleanest water in the area (tested every 2 years), Dowsing is an absolute joke. People can drill wells just about anywhere and hit water. "Divining" is referenced in the south, adding a magical aspect. However I will admit. Probably any kind of willow will work for the forked stick and the bobbing stick. As the point went downward I tried to pull it up and the bark scratched the palms of my hands. A wire surveying flag will work but the flag needs to be removed from the wire so the wind doesn't affect the movement of the wire. I was probably 5 when he witched it with a peach branch. Water dowsing can be performed through a wide range of water dowsing equipment. He saved people thousands of dollars, not having dry holes, and so started charging a fee. Just another thing in a long list of things I have no talent for. There was no way to fake that. Hell no, I went with the pick of the most highly recommended dowser. I can do it sometimes. Some of my kids can do it some cant. General logic is that youd find water more often in the valley floor than on a high mountain. After they dug several dry holes. My boss called in a local witcher and within minutes stated we were a little over 20 from the site moved the rig drilled down around 30 as witcher stated and hit a great vein. 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]. I can get you in touch with dowsers. The dirt . He said I laughed and counted after he dropped it into the bucket of water. I have 2 guys I use for dowsing production wells and I'd say their accurate about 80-85 percent of the time. That's the way he found an underground well passing through our background. Ive also used a pair of aluminum welding rods bent into a right angle. Its more for the fun of it. The most popular dowsing tool, however, is the dowsing rod. I havent tried finding pipes and cables but think it would be fun to try. Then walk aways past the flag and walk back toward with stick in both hands. Most fresh groundwater occurs in the pore spaces of sedimentary rocks and sediments. It baffles me as to how it works. Trees grow 3 to 4 feet per year to 50 or 60 feet, and have a spread as wide. I find underground water veins. Dig somewhere between the flags. I forgot to mention if a person is mentally distraught then not to bother trying to find water. Some call it the gift. Others refer to it as dowsing, doodlebugging, or water witchingthe practice of locating water underground using a forked stick. 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. Yes he dosed and found and also claimed underground rivers! Many took him up on his challenges but none were ever able to prove their mystical claims.Hmmmm, imagine that. 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. So the roots branch out in all directions seeking water and will grow more dense in areas where water has been found. They showed me how to do it with a willow branch when they were getting ready to drill a well. I decided to let him try his spot. I can do this with a dogwood stick and never asked for the ability. It works! No one knows why dowsing worksor if, indeed, it does work. and water witching. I walked around and was flabbergasted when those stupid wires started moving on their own! 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