An Unexpected Dowser
We need to understand the relationship of energy to both the material and transcendent realms, and gain an awareness of how to use it, as Jesus showed us.
“If you want to know how the universe works, think of it in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.” – Nikoli Tesla
“Dowsing is the detection and transformation of energy with simple tools and the power of heart and thought. Simply put, dowsing enables the conscious mind to connect with the subconscious mind which is itself capable of detecting very subtle energy changes.” - Susan Collins - Bridge Matter And Spirit With Dowsing
“I'm pickin' up good vibrations, She's giving me excitations.” – The Beach Boys
Photo found on the website www.atlanticdowserssociety.org/2015/08/06/the-basics-of-dowsing/
One summer during high school when I was 14 years old, in 1978, my family and I took a road trip South to visit family. On the way back, we stopped for an hour at the home of a friend of mine and her mother in Virginia. They lived out in the country on a large plot of land. While there, my friend’s mother offered us water to drink, which she then mentioned came from her well. After further conversation she admitted that she dowses for water, and in fact found two underground streams through dowsing and had the house well dug where they intersected. When the well-diggers dug, as she had asked, they were surprised to discover that there were, in fact, intersecting underground streams at that point. What is “dowsing” you might ask? It is an ancient practice where people can use certain simple tools to sense the energy vibrations of nearby water, or other things, without being able to visually see them. Dowsing allowed my friend’s mother to feel the energies of the water underground and locate the best place to dig her well.
She then offered to show us how dowsing works, so we all trouped outside. I was excited, my mother was curious, while my scientific father was oozing skepticism, but trying to be polite. As 14-year-olds usually do, I was embarrassed by my father’s skepticism and my friend looked embarrassed at her mother’s claim. My younger siblings were just happy to be out of the car.
Our hostess took two pieces of stiff wire. They were coat hangers cut and bent to be L-shaped, about 4 inches x 14 inches. She held one in each hand, loosely out in front of her, balanced on her forefingers, and the short end held done with her thumb, with the short arm of the “L” perpendicular to the ground, while the long arm of the “L” was parallel to the ground, and each “L” was parallel to each other about a foot apart.
She then began to walk purposefully across the yard, the two wires sticking out ahead of her, when all of a sudden, the two parallel long arms turned inward toward each other, and crossed. Our hostess pointed out that she had just walked over where the underground stream was, and that the energy from the stream affected the wires, which then told her where the water was to be found. She then went on to explain how she had walked all over her property with the wires to determine where all the underground water sources were, which then indicated to her where the well should be dug.
Throughout her explanations, my parents did their best to look like they were open-minded, but I could see they thought she was either kidding them, or herself. They thought she had moved the wires either consciously or unconsciously as she walked. They were sure the wires did not move by themselves.
I, however, was very excited. This looked convincing and I was determined to experience it myself. I asked if I could try. Our hostess kindly agreed. We walked back to the earlier start line and she set me up, showing me how to hold the wires with just the right balance. She then stepped back. I stood there for a moment, and for the first time in my life (as I realized later when I had words for it), I took a deep breath and “centered” myself, grounding myself, inviting power into me to guide me through this exercise. I then walked forward about six steps and …. nothing happened. I had walked over where I understood the underground stream to be, but the wires didn’t cross. I was disappointed, but I kept on walking another three steps and BAM, the wires literally leaped out of my hands and crossed. I did not move the wires. If anything, there seemed to be an upward movement out of my hands before they tilted sideways. A direction that my hands physically could not have made them go. They had an energy and seeming mind of their own, separate from me.
Our hostess cheered. My parents quickly pointed out that I already knew where the underground stream was, so I just intentionally made the wires move there. But I pointed out that actually I thought the stream was 3 feet behind me; if I wanted to intentionally make them cross, I would have done it there. Also, the wires leaped upward, not simply across. My siblings then tried, but with no success. By then it was time to leave. My parents thanked our hostess, we said our goodbyes, and we left, my parents firm in their skepticism, me wondering what had just happened.
The people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?”… So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do for this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” - Exodus 17:2, 4-6
This experience with dowsing illustrates that while mystical experiences can come upon one unawares, that if we understand the principles of reality, we can use the transcendent realm to more fully inhabit this material realm. If mystical experiences are usually unintentional encounters with the transcendent realm, perhaps there is also a way to INTENTIONALLY choose to encounter the transcendent realm. As my friend’s mother did when she connected with other energies to find underground streams.
If we can tap into the wisdom of the reality beyond this one, we can use that wisdom to be our best selves while living in this time-space reality. Isn’t that what Jesus did whenever he performed a miracle? He connected with God, who is beyond the material realm, in such a way that he could manifest a new reality. He could instantly heal those who were considered unhealable. He could turn water into wine. He could calm a storm.
Jesus understood the relationship between matter and energy and its connection to the transcendent. Jesus could see the larger truth of reality, the energy behind the matter, and use it to his purposes. Like a dowser.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Immutable laws of nature
Fabulous, Stephanie--and so timely! I will be doing a sermon series over the summer (pulpit supply) around waterwheels, like the energy of living water.