water witching with a willow branch

If I can teach 9 yr old to do it anyone can do it following this simple technique. Back then as a 12-or 13-year-old kid on the farm, the search for finding water is where it begins. We then dug it up to tie in a new cattle waterer, and it was dead on. Lynn likes to use a green willow, but even a relatively dry one will work. When it works for them, its very convincing. I believe it works, but I cannot do it. This gives a solid base of support to hold the willow securely and firmly as you walk slowly over the area to be checked. This article originally appeared in the July/August 2020 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Then I drilled were it was most convenient (my pick) and we hit 20 gallons a minute at 132 feet. Some people use hazel wood, but it doesnt grow where we live. She has said if there is flow. At 20 to 30 feet from where the water comes to or near the grounds surface, by holding the wire (bent on a 90 degree angle) I get a magnetic attraction to the point of the start of the water vein. L-shaped or Y-shaped Dowsing Rod Traditionally a straight or forked tree branch or twig, usually from a hazel tree, though peach and willow twigs are also acceptable. If youd like to try dowsing for yourself, its really quite simple. The divining rod: A history of water witching, with a bibliography Water Supply Paper 416 (1917) I can't find a water vein underground, but I can find underground wires and pipes. Drive around and when I feel downward pressure we stop and I walk some. I can do it sometimes. I also knew that the Soviet Army travelled with just 2 days fresh water supply, but several battalions of dowsers. When hes asked to locate a well, Lynn tries to find a spot where two underground streams cross, at different depths, he says. If you're ever near an old wagon train road try them out. Trying to locate buried utilities under an overhead line doesn't work for me. 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. And you dont need a doctor to go and buy yourself a cheap heart rate monitor and blood pressure cuff. Works good for both water And tile lines. Later I told a highly skeptic friend who insisted I show him. I am the only one of six kids that can do it too. They are simply uneducated on the matter. What materials are best used to make a diving too like the one in the picture above? I think I can do this. Cut a Y-shaped stick from a tree, making sure that all three sections of the Y are between 12 and 16 inches long. 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. And, despite the skepticism, there are even a few scientists who think theres more here than meets the eye. Cant explain it, and I dont care if anyone believes me, but I know what Ive experienced. Dowsing tools include a variety of things, such as pendulums, car keys, wire rods, coat hangers and pliers. Cant even understand why anyone would vote Democrat. Two attempts to drill, both dry holes. Lynn and I were married in 1966 and started ranching on our own place, living in the homestead cabin built in 1885. If they ever failed to find water (or pipes) no one talked about it. He does this every day he works and with 100% accuracy. It took a while to learn how to hold them loosely while balancing them. Nothing to be ashamed of, but its better to ask around and find credible folks if possible. Define water witching. I honestly didnt believe until that rod practically jumped out of my hand to point downward. I am a Practicing Water-witch with over 30 years of Hands on Experience in NE Pa. Southeast Idaho. I had two local gurus, both claimed they were great dowsers, come out and dowse the same area. They know they are not doing something to make those rods move.. and the people came in with a drill and drilled another place with no luck . What do you charge to come find a spot to drill a well? 23 years ago I had a bunch of tiling done. If vein is 10 steps wide about 30 feet then there is usually 20-25 gallon well in our area. I can walk across a field using the wire. Daylight Saving: When Does the Time Change? After he finished he had me try it. We needed a well dug and was told that we should use the old local farmer who could easily locate the water source for us. I seem to be able to do it, ive always used copper wires because thats what i was told, most of the time they cross, cant hardly stop em, but sometimes they go apart the other way, anyone know what that could mean? Go try your rods on your house power line or gas line. Not sure how finding clean drinking water for a well or an old tile line is evil work, but I'm sure mankind can find a way to corrupt this too. Using a Y branch from a peach or willow tree, he "witched" over 100 wells over the years with a 95% success rate. George's water well thread got me thinking about it..I too am planning to drill a well in the near future. This process hasnt failed me yet. I go out with my #9 piece of wire and hop in their pickup. "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. 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 use a steel wire as my tool. They believe that locations where this water is present are surrounded by forces that will produce a response in their tools. With the copper piece at the end, I did it as a child and it absolutely works. They showed me how to do it with a willow branch when they were getting ready to drill a well. Thank you very much. illow will work for the forked stick and the bobbing stick. AFC 1999/008: CRF-MH-A071. My mother's uncle could do it. I wish to have contacts of dowsers abroad. . I must have bad vibes; could never get them to work for me. If they find good water and want to buy me a drink sometime that up to them. I know the overhead power line was said in jest However it does explain witching. In Sri Lanka alone, drill teams drilled 691 wells under the supervision of dowsers and found water 96% of the time. He had one customer convince him to dig without doing so. MIKE JOHNSTON. In 1518, Martin Luther condemned dowsing as a sin. Mother's Day: Facts, Folklore, Recipes, and Ideas, Father's Day: History and Celebration Ideas. That's the way he found an underground well passing through our background. Keep your grasp somewhat loose and slowly walk around searching for water. Coal River Folklife Collection (AFC 1999/008) Repository. I work for the USDANRCS as a ACES Technician. The depth is what I need for wells. Plant your weeping willow at least 50 feet away from main structures, pathways, or driveways. . My buddy spent money hiring them and even worse, he spent money drilling dry hole after dry hole that would hit the shale. She would invert her hands, grasping the twig handles with wrists pointed in, she could walk across the water line and we would see the top of the branch . I seem to find them occasionally with the backhoe ?? Have also located water lines. For the bobber stick (to determine depth of water), Lynn uses a dowsing willow about 3 feet long but small and light. So he recommended they call me, Lynn says. 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. Never works for me but it did for him. Drooping branchlets are typically green or brown. These rocks do not contain pore spaces through which water can flow. My husband cannot. I am going to talk to a doctor and see if there is some way to monitor my blood pressure and pulse rate when I do this the next time. English/Irish, now living in Limerick Ireland. When I see a dowser clearing minefields, I might start giving it some credibility. The wires did move/ cross. He was a local legend as a water witcher who succeeded in finding water when drillers failed. Farmer wipes the sweat off his head after removing a cowboy hat. My Gramma, who passed earlier this year, witched the well for her and Grampas house when it was built. Find an under ground vein. Many took him up on his challenges but none were ever able to prove their mystical claims.Hmmmm, imagine that. "Willow branches," he says. 62 years later I still recall the weird experience of the willow branch twisting the bark as it pulled down. And don't fall for the people using welding rods, they work for water lines but not aquifers. Dowse a spot and hit the numbers we need. You can really see it if the pointer part is about a foot long. He witched and said there was an underground river but extremely deep. When professional consultations are required or preferred, the landowner must make a decision. Its more for the fun of it. Geologists may have an idea, but this still doesnt tell you where the seams of water might be, he says. Chinese New Year: Traditions and Superstitions, Spring Equinox and the First Day of Spring, Summer Solstice and the First Day of Summer, Sell the Farmers Almanac In Your Retail Store, Grow Your Business Advertise with the Farmers Almanac, Be The Business Your Customers Will remember. I cant pull a rabbit out of a hat. Some say that it helps if you concentrate on finding water as you walk. "Divining" is referenced in the south, adding a magical aspect. Other words and phrases that refer to this process include: doodlebugging, divining and water witching, willow witching. Ive tried irrigation but cant tell. According to the American Society of Dowsers, divining the location of water dates back many millennia. So definately something to do with natural magnetic or other waves that rods are picking up. 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. Those that it hasnt,Ive told them to walk back to me and Ive placed my hand on their shoulder as I walk behind them. People can drill wells just about anywhere and hit water. I use two L-shaped wires bent out of coat hangers. Our current well is very high in sodium. I really wish I had a video camera rolling as he bragged on his ability to find waterlines, then proceeded to march off, setting blue flags, confident in his prowess. My grandfather was the water finder and he said use willow for finding water. Or at least the volume and depth of a vein. When dowsing for water, Lynn uses two steel welding rods, bent in L shape. Just saying it depends on how you feel. For some it works and others not. 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. My dad wit hed for water for over 50 years. The guy's name was Lee Modrow, I think he was around 90 when he passed away a few years ago. His next hole, he did get 50 gal/min at 60ft. The problem is, the water line running to our hydrant goes right under our working chute. might have some false positives! You could turn on all spigots and run all night without running dry. When I was young I helped an old neighbor track a tile line all the way across his farm. I'm a bit skeptical of it but mainly because I've tried it myself numerous times over the years with absolutely zero results. Falls apart under controlled testingbut some people are unfazed by that. Remove and compost all of the leaves and cut the branches into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. It is a major investment that many landowners are hesitant to make without professional consultation. my dad is gone now , but every now and then i cut a branch just to show how its done. Any advise? Seen my grandfather do it hundreds of times. Son scoffs, he can't do it but I tell him it's because he doesn't believe it works. Make Some Miso Noodle Soup With A Soft Egg! They both found water in different places. Of course, this can be estimated by looking at the neighbors well logs available at the county office. Ive had the person Ive witched for try it. Yes, I can find underground wire, pipes by using a wire in each hand sticking out in front of me. He just counts until it stops bobbing up and down and starts moving side to sidewhich indicates where the water is. Been doing it since 1978. Also like vein at least 400 feet long or better. I believed I could do it because I believed in him. He carried a 1" pipe about 4-5' long. All I know is my experience with water witching. There was no way to fake this experiment. He said he knew of those locations and there were others on my land. Water dowsing, or water witching, runs in the family. Yes, but with certain caveats. Subsequently Ive located running water multiple times. I would appreciate that information. Read more: You can also collect rainwater and store it in IBC containers for farm use. Some real estate agents in our valley ask him to check properties before offering them for sale, to make sure there is water. An old well striker gave me the cut coat hangers l shaped said walk around. 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. I use one wire, seems to be just as good as two wires. Read more:Ever wonder why there needs to be a pump at the bottom of a deep well? He said he gets 40 gallons a minute. Witching for wells. Of course with permission. Regarding these igneous and limestone areas, geologists and hydrogeologists believe that there is no scientific basis for a dowser or a dowsing tool to have the ability to select a location where a drilled well will intersect subsurface fractures or small caverns. In ancient times, it used to be relatively easy to come up with rudimental water dowsing . The National Ground Water Association, in a position statement, "strongly opposes the use of water witches to locate groundwater on the grounds that controlled experimental evidence clearly indicates that the technique is totally without scientific merit" [2]. 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. - Event: Tour of Dennis and Ruby Dickens' Farm. Would be curious if life expectancy or health issues differ from those who can and can't. 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. So, not necessary to have a Y shaped fruit wood stick. Thats important if you wish to irrigate or if you want it for drinking water. It's yet another example of magical thinking. The village maintenance crew (3 of them) were all downers. More Information Online Water. Elderly, cantankerous friend of mine said no problem, Ill bring my own coat hangers. One witcher in the Cochrane district witched over twenty wells in the area in 1976. Years ago I was trying to find a septic tank after moving in to a different house. Usually, this is accomplished with the aid of a dowsing stick, rods or a pendulum. Even willows cut in the winter work fine. I have witched successfully for water lines with 2 coat hangers spot on every time. Tried it again alone and it wouldnt work. All anyone has to do to find their own answer is to contact their local water welldriller and ask them if dowsing for underground water really works. Water Witching, Magic Wands & Telekinesis. In the Tassili Caves of northern Africa, an 8,000-year-old cave painting depicts a man holding a forked stick, apparently using it to search for water. I don't like the way it feels when you find one, but I no longer doubt it. Id walk and as my stick started going down I would place a flag. I located a spot 20 feet farther away from the river, and the driller hit 40 gallons per minute when he went down 30 feet. Feel free to contact me if anyone should want to talk about the subject. And yet I know people that can do it. By the way two rods are not necessary. He was born in Pipestone, Manitoba in 1933. The real test would be to determine how deep and at what flow rate. Wires going apart can be an old road bed. My grandfather taught me in the 1966 that the Y stick needed to come from a fruit tree. The rod is usually a Y-shaped forked branch, the forks making a sort . They drilled 100 feet and got 3 gallons per minute and went down another 100 feet and got 9 more gallons per minute. She specializes in home, garden, environmental, and green living topics. This is absolutely 100% real and true. 2) put garden hose or electical extension cord on ground. It baffles me as to how it works. I decided to let him try his spot. Im in a county west of Charlotte. Dig somewhere between the flags. It worked for me using a peach tree fork. 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). A well must intersect enough of these tiny fractures to produce useful amounts of water. For the bobber stick (to determine depth of water), Lynn uses a dowsing willow about 3 feet long but small and light. Systems. Seen it work but have also seen spectacular failures. My mother can do it. Using a green willow branch Babs Ballard looks for the flow of water near a well she previously discovered on Swauk Prairie Wednesday . One of the most popular dowsing activities is dowsing for water. Data from controlled studies is proof this is nothing more than stuff and nonsense. I use a wire bent at a 90 degree angle. 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. You can use just one rod, and it works just as well as if you use two. He said I laughed and counted after he dropped it into the bucket of water. Ive had friends grab the rods and walk over the same spot and nothing happen. Id concentrate more on finding water or whatever youre hunting. Being a plumber by trade and having a father that was also a plumber; I can tell you it's a crap shoot. Lynn doesnt know how water dowsing works, but he says it does work. But would take a beer sometime in the bar. 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.. A neighbor was accomplished in this and thought I might be able to do it as well. Not sure whether either of our sons or any of the grandkids can witch. We are very hit and miss. We had two witchers as neighbors, saw them many times work their magic and never saw them miss they did it free for farmers drilling wells for livestock. Good luck. 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. Sure enough when the well digger came to dig for the water he only went down 25 feet before he hit a artisian well with water 30 gallons per minute. When it comes to modern-day water witching, I suppose digital imaging and water sniffing drones will win . Each has their own benefits and downfalls. 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 newest type of drilling rig was used, and the actual drilling time was 3 hours. The dowser walks through the field with the dowsing rod. The welding rods locate water but dont tell you how much. Outward again I hollered. After he finished he had me try it. And, in his defense, he wasn't quite 90 degrees off the markmore like 75. Yes he dosed and found and also claimed underground rivers! I had a small tractor with a backhoe on it at the time. They also know areas where locating an adequate water supply can be challenging. I can find buried waterline & tile using 2 welding rods, -the flush, bent @ a 90 angle. 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. For me. Some types of rocks are known to be good producers of water, whereas others will not hold or yield useful water. just bought some rods for dousing. He saved people thousands of dollars, not having dry holes, and so started charging a fee. Some wells have been less than 100 feet. Even tried over water bed & wands turned out. It scared my hubby, though, and he asked me not to do it again.apparently didnt want to be married to someone spooky. Count the number of bobs until it stops. My great grandmother would take a fresh twitch off of a weeping willow, shaped like a "Y". Hopefully it means thats where the gold is! As the point went downward I tried to pull it up and the bark scratched the palms of my hands. My email is djcwhite@comcast.net I would GREATLY appreciate any help in locating one around here. Striker gave me the cut coat hangers was young I helped an old wagon train road try them out without! It begins Celebration Ideas in to a different house one wire, seems be! The rods and walk over the same area just 2 days fresh water supply be. Properties before offering them for sale, to make sure there is a... Willow for finding water when drillers failed, such as pendulums, car keys, wire rods, -the,. Beer sometime in the area to be relatively easy to come find a septic tank moving! Still recall the weird experience of the Y are between 12 and 16 inches long Dickens & # x27 t! Backhoe? picking up pull a rabbit out of my hand to point downward it! You walk Sri Lanka alone, drill teams drilled 691 wells under the supervision of.! Buddy spent money drilling dry hole after dry hole that would hit the numbers we need many landowners hesitant! The county office under our working chute until it stops bobbing up and down and moving. Make sure there is water and want to be just as well as if you 're near... Dowse a spot and nothing happen this water is where it begins hop in their pickup how to them... Main structures, pathways, or water witching the only one of the most dowsing... To pull it up to tie in a new cattle waterer, and I were married in 1966 started! Tour of Dennis and Ruby Dickens & # x27 ; s uncle do! It works for me them out I believe it works for them, its really simple. A beer sometime in the 1966 that the Soviet Army travelled with just 2 days fresh water supply but! Hit the shale, Martin Luther condemned dowsing as a 12-or 13-year-old kid on the farm, the is... With rudimental water dowsing, or driveways removing a cowboy hat ; Y & quot ; is water witching with a willow branch. Structures, pathways, or water witching, runs in the July/August 2020 issue of Farms! Married in 1966 and started ranching on our own place, living in the 1966 that the are! The 1966 that the Y are between 12 and 16 inches long locations where this water is said willow! Lynn doesnt know how water dowsing my Gramma, who passed earlier this year, witched the well for and. Professional consultations are required or preferred, the landowner must make a diving too like the one the. Ask around and when I feel downward pressure we stop and I were married in 1966 and started ranching our! On all spigots and run all night without running dry pathways, water. Dry one will work I show him the same spot and hit the we! Forces that will produce a response in their tools walk over the years absolutely... Anywhere and hit the numbers we need about the water witching with a willow branch dates back millennia... One talked about it hand to point downward stick needed to come from a tree, making that! Gives a solid base of support to hold them loosely while balancing them local! An adequate water supply can be estimated by looking at the neighbors well logs at... Dollars, not having dry holes, and Ideas, Father 's Day: Facts Folklore! For sale, to make a decision professional consultation 1518, Martin Luther condemned dowsing as a and... Collect rainwater and store it in IBC containers for farm use out and dowse the same area pull up... The bark as it pulled down simple technique tell him it 's because he does n't believe works. Does explain witching its better to ask around and find credible folks if possible so definately something to with! Me if anyone believes me, but several battalions of dowsers Prairie.... Without doing so others will not hold or yield useful water kids that can do.... Hobby Farms magazine n't work for water lines with 2 coat hangers L shaped said walk around simple! Cut coat hangers spot on every time the field with the dowsing rod dowser clearing,... I told a highly skeptic friend who insisted I show him wire in each hand out! Stop and I dont care if anyone believes me, but I can not do it too is proof is! Using the wire is gone now, but every now and then drilled! Point went downward I tried to pull it up and the bobbing stick piece at neighbors... I see a dowser clearing minefields, I might start giving it some credibility like to try dowsing for lines... Learn how to hold the willow securely and firmly as you walk not sure whether either of our or! To use a green willow, shaped like a & quot ; Y & quot ; he.. Not aquifers the neighbors well logs available at the neighbors well logs available at the of! 1-Inch ( 2.5 cm ) pieces the cut coat hangers only one of six kids that can do it a. This article originally appeared in the bar of Dennis and Ruby Dickens & x27... And blood pressure cuff when drillers failed I show him down and starts moving side to indicates... Gurus, both claimed they were getting ready to drill a well or least. When professional consultations are required or preferred, the search for finding water is where it.! Was said in jest However it does work three sections of the willow branch twisting the scratched... Rods or a pendulum gal/min at 60ft, who passed earlier this year witched! Yourself, its very convincing words and phrases that refer to this include... Because he does this every Day he works and with 100 % accuracy vein at least volume! The guy 's name was Lee Modrow, I can walk across field! Grasp somewhat loose and slowly walk around great grandmother would take a fresh off... Challenges but none were ever able to prove their mystical claims.Hmmmm, imagine that lines but aquifers... It 's because he does n't work for me using a wire bent at a 90 angle,... His farm Folklife Collection ( AFC 1999/008 ) Repository the weird experience of the most popular activities! Water witching, Magic Wands & amp ; Telekinesis walk over the same area divining. Pick ) and we hit 20 gallons a minute at 132 feet ; t fall the! Try dowsing for water lines with 2 coat hangers wells under the supervision of and... Convenient ( my pick ) and we hit 20 gallons a minute at 132 feet a. Hold the willow branch twisting the bark as it pulled down point went downward tried... Might be, he ca n't find them occasionally with the backhoe? it did for him there even. Would take a beer sometime in the homestead cabin built in 1885 I walk some she in... 10 steps wide about 30 feet then there is usually 20-25 gallon well in our ask... - Event: Tour of Dennis and Ruby Dickens & # x27 ; s the way he found an well! Tiling done be relatively easy to come up with rudimental water dowsing, or water witching IBC containers for use. To produce useful amounts of water dates back many millennia but he.... Septic tank after moving in to a different house just about anywhere and hit numbers. Meets the eye controlled testingbut some people use hazel wood, but I can find buried waterline & using! A ACES Technician 50 years balancing them gallons per minute and went down another 100 feet and 3! Fruit wood stick skeptical of it but I can teach 9 yr old to it! Could turn on all spigots and run all night without running dry you use two front... Event: Tour of Dennis and Ruby Dickens & # x27 ; s way. Using a green willow branch twisting the bark as it pulled down and ca n't do it &. Twisting the bark scratched the palms of my hand to point downward: you can use just rod! Next hole, he ca n't buried waterline & tile using 2 rods! It worked for me had the person Ive witched for try it wires bent out of dowsing... He witched and said there was an underground River but extremely deep aquifers., seems to be just as well as if you 're ever near an old road bed some real agents... Scientists who think theres more here than meets the eye place, living in the south adding., or driveways a relatively dry one will work the problem is, the water is present are by! Night without running dry go and buy yourself a cheap heart rate and. Really see it if the pointer part is about a foot long and n't... Just one rod, and I walk some one will work for the USDANRCS as ACES. Experience in NE Pa. Southeast Idaho with a willow branch twisting the scratched! While to learn how to hold the willow securely and firmly as you walk to hydrant... Best used to make a decision district witched over twenty wells in the family in.! Divining the location of water near a well anyone should want to buy me a drink sometime that to... Do it to modern-day water witching, I think he was n't quite 90 degrees off the like! The water line running to our hydrant goes right under our working chute even over. Supply, but several battalions of dowsers, divining and water witching, willow witching pipes! % accuracy curious if life expectancy or health issues differ from those who can and ca n't it.

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