Contents

A brief history 2
Introduction to L-rods 5
How to hold L-rods 6
Detection in practice 7
Examples of uses of the rods 8
The dowser’s checklist 9
Conclusion 11

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 A brief history

Dowsing is a very ancient science that is thought to date back to prehistoric times. This does
not come as a great surprise, given that the search for drinking water has been key to the
survival of the human species since the dawn of time. This search was once called
rhabdomancy, a term derived from the Greek rhadbos, rod, and manteia, divination.

Rhabdomancy encompassed not only the quest for water but also all divination techniques
using rods, sticks, or arrows. This vast discipline is even thought to include Yi Jing, a Chinese
divination system based on small wooden sticks. In Asia, many ancient oracles were delivered
with wooden sticks of different sizes, picked at random. The rods were found in the hands of
many figures of spiritual authority.

Etching of Emperor Yu with his dowsing rod.

Egyptian depictions show Pharaohs holding rods as instruments of power. The fascinating rock
paintings of Tassili, discovered in the Algerian Sahara and dated about 6,000 BCE, also depict
men with rods. In Roman antiquity, the stick was a divinatory instrument. In the Bible, Moses
made water gush out from a rock by striking it with a stick (in fact, Moses is considered the
first water diviner in history).

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Dowsing rods feature in the cultural heritage of the Sumerians, Hebrews, Celts, Romans and
Greeks, but also in India, and even among the Eskimos. Water diviners were generally
authority figures, priests, guides, or chiefs.

In Europe, written traces of the use of dowsing rods to find water and metal are found in
Germany, dating back to the 15th century. The use of wooden rods to search for ore is
mentioned by Agricola (De Re Metallica, 1556): in his book, he describes German miners
using Y-rods to detect gold deposits.

It would seem that dowsing rods to detect water and metal were an extension of divinatory
rods, which had been used for thousands of years.

Fifteenth-century etching depicting a search for ore using dowsing rods

In France, in the 17th century, the Beausoleil couple popularized the use of rods to find
groundwater. Their impressive results inspired many other dowsers and sparked interest in
water divining. Dowsing flourished during this period.

Dowsing rods and their affiliation with dowsing and divination, however, were not to
everyone’s taste. The Church repeatedly condemned the use of dowsing rods, even though
many religious men practiced dowsing. As with pendulums, the divinatory use of which was
condemned by the Pope in 1326, dowsing rods raised fears and Luther condemned their use
in 1517.

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For Luther, the use of rods broke the first commandment, as it was considered occult. From his
point of view, the first commandment prohibited the worshipping not only of other gods, but
of all other kinds of idols too. He particularly condemned superstition. These condemnations
equated the search for water using dowsing rods with magic. For some members of the
Church, both Catholic and Protestant, the oscillations of the rods were nothing other than a
manifestation of the devil in person. Alchemists themselves saw it as magic. And yet, rumour
has it that the Vatican used dowsers.

In 1701, Pierre Le Lorrain de Vallemont's book titled “La Physique Occulte ou Traité de la
Baguette Divinatoire” was banned by the Church following an investigation by the Inquisition.
Energy theories, or “flow” theories to use the vocabulary of the time, were not appreciated by
the Church, since they were dangerously close to animism, magic and mysticism. In his book,
Vallemont wrote of flows emanating from the living, and from the earth, which caused the rod
to tilt.

We have since developed a better understanding of the Earth's magnetic field, and French
scientists were able to reproduce it in their laboratory about ten years ago. But as early as
1919, British scientist Sir Joseph Larmor put forward the theory that the Earth’s magnetic
field is generated by the movements of an electrically conductive fluid.

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 Introduction to L-rods

Professor Rocard considers L-rods to be the most accurate and reliable rods for dowsers.

They are held by their handles, one in each hand, and react by crossing paths or moving away
from each other. Together with Y-rods, this is the most commonly used type of rod.

L-rods are generally made of metal, often copper or brass, with handles made of the same
material or plastic.

Depending on the model, some of these rods can feature very thin swivel handles or very wide
ones. Their comfort of use is quite personal; some will prefer thin handles to better sense the
movements, while others will prefer slightly thicker handles. However, the functioning of the
rods will remain the same.

Note that the choice of material (wood, copper, etc.) is also a personal one, and will not
influence the performance of your dowsing rods.

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 How to hold L-rods

1. Take a rod in each hand, long stems pointing forward, keeping your elbows close to your
body

2. Make sure the rods are spaced about 25-30cm apart and horizontal

3. Relax, don't squeeze your elbows too tight against your body and loosen your shoulders

4. Try to then keep the rods straight and steady as you walk, both fully parallel and perfectly
horizontal

5. Find the right mental attitude, with a certain detachment in your intention

The risk is that you will tighten your grip on the handles and induce movement. Bear in
mind that this is an exercise to relax and especially let go. So don't grip on the handles
too tight and keep your joints loose!

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 Detection in practice

1. First, set up your mental convention, that is, the object of your research (e.g. tell yourself “I
am looking for water”)

2. Move around in the field trying to detect, with the knowledge that your rods will react when
the object of your convention is detected (e.g. water)

3. The rods may react in two ways:

• They may move simultaneously in one direction, remaining parallel, to indicate a

direction to follow
• They may cross or move away from one another to indicate that you are standing
above what you set out to search for in your mental convention (if the rods open
up/move apart, this can also mean that you are moving away from the object you are
looking for)

NB: There is nothing magical, let alone divine, about the rod’s reaction: it simply reacts
to the prospector’s perfectly involuntary physical reflex in their task. It is merely the
visible amplifier of the dowser’s invisible and subconscious muscular contractions.

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 Examples of uses of the rods

L-rods can be used to search for water, Hartmann nodes, and any other elements and
energy nodes. They can also be used to search for lost objects. Here is a non-exhaustive
list of commonly sought items:

• Electromagnetic network (Curry network, Hartmann network, etc.)

• Cosmos-telluric resonance (vortex, chimney, etc.)

• Pipes, buried high-voltage line

• Water vein, source

• Entity, presence

• The near presence of a sacred place

• For communication with animals

• To plant a vegetable garden

• … Etc.

The rods are often used in conjunction with a dowsing pendulum to obtain more precise
information (e.g. to measure the depth of a water source, to find sources of nuisance in a
home, etc.).

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 The dowser’s checklist

For best results, make sure you observe the following conditions before performing
detection.

Be in good physical shape

You must be in good physical shape for effective detection. There is no use practising if you feel
tired or sick, or if you have taken medication or drunk alcohol.

Have suitable gear

Make sure your rods are in good working order before you start a detection. Also bring
along a notebook and pencil to write down the question driving your search and the
results obtained.

Choose comfortable clothes

Wear comfortable clothing that is appropriate for the place where you are carrying out
your search. Avoid tight clothing or carrying a load that could affect your concentration
(heavy backpack, etc.).

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 Choose the right detection times

Detection can be done at any time of the day, but it is best to choose times when energies
are at their highest. Mornings are therefore better (better mental and physical shape
after a night’s rest, rising energies, and no digestive fatigue). Avoid searching directly
after a meal or after sunset.

Avoid all external pollution

Do not wear a quartz and liquid-crystal watch. The energy of the quartz has a significant
influence on our own energy and affects our detection abilities. Likewise, do not carry your
mobile phone with you, to avoid electromagnetic pollution and distraction from your phone
ringing.

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 Conclusion

This is a brief summary of how to use dowsing rods; it will require regular practice and if
possible training with a person who already knows how to use them.

Remember: everyone has a dowsing sensitivity. It varies from one individual to the next, but
there are no ideal physical traits to be a good dowser, unlike what is sometimes claimed. This is
not a magical sixth sense but a sensitivity innate to every human being.

A few last tips to motivate you in your searches:

Take your time: Sometimes the will to succeed and/or haste can take over. You then risk
missing the signal. If you do not fully embrace what is going on, then nothing will go
through you and nothing will happen. Take it easy, stay tuned and let it happen!

Do not fixate on the end of your rods: Everything first happens within you. The rods are
merely a mediator. Fixating on the rods can be a way to cut yourself off from what is really
happening inside your body. Repeat the exercise with one eye on your rods and the other on
your internal self.

Work on staying grounded: the more thoughts go through your mind, the more the rods
will move around as you walk. The more you are connected to the earth and your feet, the
more the rods will remain straight, still and connected.

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 Attend courses and workshops: Yes! Learning to search for sources in books or on the
Internet will give you good theoretical grounding, but it is even better to be supported in
the process and to be able to talk about it with others…

Happy searching :)

You will find more information on dowsing on our website:

[Link]

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