Divining Rod
A forked rod, or branch of tree, which in the hands of certain people is said to indicate, by means of spasmodic movements of varying intensity, the presence of water and minerals underground. Traces of the rod used for purposes of divination are to be found in the records of Ancient Egypt. Cicero and Tacitus both wrote of the rod virgula divina." This ancient divining rod was a form of rhabdomancy (q.v.) or divination by means of little pieces of stick. In Germany it was known as the wishing-rod" and was used just as fortune-tellers use cards, coffee or tea-grounds at the present day. Agricola's De Re Metallica published at Basle, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, makes reference to another rod which he calls the virgula furcata," the forked, rod to distinguish it from the " virgula divina." This rod, he said, was used by miners to discover mineral lodes; rhabdomancy having nothing to do with this use of the divining rod. Melancthon mentions this use of the rod and ascribed the behaviour of the " instrument" in the discovery of metallic ores to the law of sympathy, according to the belief then obtaining that metals, trees and other natural objects had certain subtle relationships with each other; and believers in this theory pointed to the fact that trees which grew above mineral lodes droop as though attracted downwards; the modern scientific explanation of this natural phenomenon being that it is due to the poverty of the soil. In Sebastian Minister's Cosmography, also of the sixteenth century, may be found engravings of these " mineral diviners" at work. The priests of that time persecuted them as demons in disguise; they were also included in the witchcraft persecutions, suffering tortures and burning Divining Rod to death. Among miners on the Continent the use of the "virgula furcata" became universal, especially in the Harz Mountains and throughout Saxony. In Germany it was called the Schlag-Ruthe, "striking-rod from the fact of its appearing to strike when held over mineral ores. Robert Boyle, the "father of chemistry" is the first " دو to make mention of the divining rod in England. In an essay of his published in 1663 may be found the following "A forked hazel twig is held by its horns, one in each hand, the holder walking with it over places where mineral lodes may be suspected, and it is said that the fork by dipping down will discover the place where the ore is to be found. Many eminent authors, amongst others our distinguished countryman Gabriel Plat, ascribe much to this detecting wand, and others, far from credulous or ignorant, have as eye-witnesses spoken of its value. When visiting the lead-mines of Somersetshire I saw its use, and one gentleman who employed it declared that it moved without his will, and I saw it bend so strongly as to break in his hand. It will only succeed in some men's hands, and those who have seen it may much more readily believe than those who have not." Some authorities on the subject state that it was first brought into England in the time of Queen Elizabeth. In the State papers of that reign may be found recorded the fact that commissioners were sent to Germany to study the best methods of mining and brought back with them German miners from the Harz Mountains; and that these "foreigners" introduced the divining rod into England seems highly probable. It was first used for water finding, however, in Southern France, and not until a century later was it used in England for this purpose. It became the "dowsing rod" in England and Somersetshire might be called the home of the "dowser." Locke the philosopher, a Somersetshire man referred in 1691 to the "dowsing rod and De Quincey, also belonging to the county, tells of singular cases of "jousers" as he calls them. Down to the present day this means of finding water is used, farmers and owners of large estates sending for a "dowser" when they wish to find a spring of water. These men are not geologists, who might have a scientific knowledge of the locality, they are often merely labourers. The rods are mostly cut from the hazel, but all kinds of nut and fruit trees have been used, white and black thorn and privet also being favourites. Pieces of watch-spring and copper-wire are also used; and in some cases the forked rod is dispensed with, the peculiar sensation felt in the arms, hands and body being sufficient to indicate the water. These dowsers wander over the ground with the ends of the fork grasped in the palms of the hands and the rod downwards and when this moves, turning suddenly in his hand, upwards, it is said for water, downwards for minerals, at that spot will be found the desired object, absolute correctness frequently being achieved. In later years attempts have been made to scientifically investigate the question and amongst amateur "dowsers " we find the names of Lord Farrer and the late Mr. Andrew Lang. As to the theory for these movements the electrical or magnetic theory was exploded by Father Kircher in 1654 who balanced the rod on a frictionless support like a delicate pair of scales and found that in this position nothing would induce it to move over hidden water or metal. It must be held by some human being before the movements take place. Chevreul, the French savant, in 1854 put forward the theory of involuntary muscular action. A modern scientist gives his opinion that very possibly it is due to a faculty in the "dowser" akin to that possessed by a medium: "some transcendental perceptive power unconsciously possessed by certain persons, a faculty analogous to what is called clairvoyance. Not exactly to be described as 'clear-seeing' but rather, a dim, obscure impression not reaching the brain through the organ of vision, seldom ever rising to the level of a conscious impression, but one able to start the nervous reflex action which caused the muscles to twitch and the rod or other'autoscope' to move. Doubtless, changes of blood pressure and pulse rate also occur in the dowser; and if this be so, quite possibly modern instrumental appliances for recording these will ultimately supersede the primitive forked twig." He goes on to say that: "The 'dowser' in fact, 'feels for and subconsciously discerns the hidden object, whether it be water, hidden treasure or even a malefactor concealing himself from justice, who was pursued and discovered by the agency of the famous dowser Jacques Aymar, using his supernormal powers in 1692."
See Sir W. F. Barrett F.R.S. Lecture on The Dowsing Rod.
A. E. Waite, The Occult Sciences. ,