Throughout time, dowsing was often used to find water clear back to the time of cave drawings. So, what is this mysterious thing called dowsing? It is a method of detecting the energetic patterns around us that are unseen to the eye. To relate to energetic patterns unseen to the eye, think of our own energetic field, also known as your aura or chi, that detects others when they walk up behind us, you pick up the phone to hear the very person you were thinking about, or you turn to take notice of the feeling that someone was staring at you. We all have the abilities to sense things around us but unless we can see, hear, touch, or smell these unseen energies, we typically do not believe it. However, through dowsing you are able to become more aware of your ability to sense the energy that surrounds you. This does take some training of the subconscious much like how we learn how to type. It takes practice to know the keystrokes without looking at the keyboard, but over time, you are able to type without looking at the keyboard.

Dowsing is most commonly used in detecting or finding water and was used by our forefathers in farming to find water for the livestock or gardens. During the 15th century, the Germans used dowsing to find metals that then spread to England where miners worked in the coal mines. During the Vietnam War, some United States Marines used dowsing to locate weapons and tunnels. Besides finding water, dowsing is used to locate buried metals, gemstones, other objects, or the currents of earth radiation. There are many dowsing tools that include; dowsing rods, portable-dowsing rods, bobbing rods, pendulums, Y- or L-shaped twigs from specific trees, radiometers, or some dowsers use no tools at all.

When using dowsing rods for the first time, you must first determine which directions will indicate a "yes" or "no" response. Clear your mind, relax, and wait for the response just as you would wait for an answer when asking a question of the person next to you. We go into a silence mode watching or listening without thinking or being aware of anything else, except for the response. Upon finding your yes and no response you can then practice using your dowsing rods within your land or home by locating water, flame of a candle, sharp corner, electromagnetic fields, noxious zones, ley lines, metals, etc. Since our bodies are very sensitive to water, it is a great way to start practicing your dowsing capabilities.

Of course, dowsing takes practice just like it took practice for you to write with a pencil or ride a bike for the first time. Children learn very quickly and are very good because have not been told that they should or shouldn’t work. If you have never dowsed before or are unfamiliar with dowsing, then hire someone that is familiar with dowsing, attend a seminar or workshop, or read step by step directions for hands on training.

Kandi Phillips is the owner of Awaken Your Space, LLC and a certified Decorator, Organizer, and Feng Shui practitioner. Awaken Your Space carries a variety of dowsing products, and will be at the Healthy Living Expo on Saturday, March 14th at BCC in Melbourne. Kandi will be presenting "Feng Shui and Green Living."