The Druid Grove

by **Vapour Trail** » 01 Mar 2010, 18:56

Dowsing and Druidry: Where Paths Cross

Introduction
In this seminar I want to discuss those areas of modern druidry that have direct correlations with dowsing, to talk about the kinds of mental processes they have in common, and most importantly to discuss the way in which dowsing can enhance, enliven and affirm one’s approach to the lifestyle that we call druidry. If you have never thought to consider using dowsing to enhance your druidry activities then some of the ideas in this article may surprise you; most I hope will encourage you to try them for yourself, if you haven’t already; or perhaps you may see the activities in a new light.

Like the two strands of the double helix shape it is my contention that the disciplines of dowsing and druidry have many points at which they meet as they intertwine around each other. Dowsing is the left-brain discipline - a study in extracting knowledge from some divine source through the power of the questioning intellect. Druidry is its right-brain counterpart - a discipline of gnostic inquiry(with a small ‘g’ indicating the method rather than the theology), intuitively and creatively guided towards belief and understanding. Yet I suggest that students in either field would be equally happy with either of those definitions of the qualities of their chosen discipline, for they have much in common. I choose both disciplines, because I feel that the best progress is made when both sides work together in harmony, and I believe the two disciplines have a great deal of synergy.

Dowsing is an ancient skill, and is an activity of which you are probably quite aware. In that sense I’m not intending to go over old ground (no pun intended). I will merely provide a cursory definition and we can move ahead. I hope you will not be too disappointed that I will not be covering the subject’s history or its practicalities – all that material can easily be found elsewhere, and there are some references to material at the end of the seminar that will provide you with a good background, should you wish to follow it up.

Please bear in mind that the information contained in this article represents my current best information and my most complete models of the paradigms of the subtle energies and their manifestation. These cannot and should not be taken as fact, but rather considered to be a working hypothesis, all of which is subject to change, as this is the nature of Nature and the Universe within which we operate. I do not claim to have a holistic interpretation of all aspects of my work. Instead I hold dynamic models based upon my latest research. All information presented, however, is based upon my own experience, and has been derived from first principles whilst trying to build a framework with as few gaps as possible.

Terminology
Some terms that I use throughout the article should be explained. When I talk of "earth energy" I am discussing the subtle energy that arises from within the earth itself. I believe that this energy is a product of many processes, including

I am no scientist, and I have no inclination to test for this, other than to dowse it. It is simply a belief based upon my own years of continuous research. These are the concepts I am talking about when I mention "earth energy" - a subtle energy form that is a natural product of The Earth's own processes, and those of the energy that touches this planet.

I also talk about "radiant energy", which is a similar form of 'subtle' energy. I say 'subtle' because this indicates how science is currently unable and unwilling to test for and thus detect this energy form. Radiant energy is my classification of the forms of energy produced from direct or reflected sunlight or other solar emissions. This also includes the light energy from other stars and the reflected light from planets too. It thus refers to the energy emissions of all cosmic bodies whose energy reaches our planet.

Another term I refer to is the concept of the "aura". This is a field of energy that extends beyond the boundaries of the physical object that emits it. The aura is composed of various layers of energy that have a light component, and thus can be characterized by a scale of colours in the same way as a rainbow emits a spectrum of colours. The size and strength of this subtle energy field appears to be an indicator of the health of the living entity that emits the aura, and that can encapsulate humans, animals, plants and even geological features.
When I refer to "magical processes", or "energy work" I try to differentiate between the term "magic" and "natural magick". I define magic as being a set of rituals, tools, visualisations and vocalisations which are intended to bring about change at the behest of, and for the sake of a human. I contrast that with "natural magick", which is a term I use to stress the inter-relationship of Nature with the human being in order to co-operatively bring about a change, and a change that flows with the natural order and direction of a divine process, whether one defines that as a telelogical, ontological or eschatological process.

Defining Energy
The energy that I talk of through this article has many names, and has been known to all human civilisations at all times. Ironically, it is only in our own time, when we have seemingly the most powerful tools of analysis and enquiry, which we seem to be losing the ability to feel and work with this energy. Perhaps, one could say, at a time when we need it most?
This energy is 'subtle'. It is not visible, although it can be made manifest. It has no form, although it can be contained and directed. It has no obvious impact upon us, yet it influences us every day. It is chi, prana, mana, orgone, od, vril.... and a host of other exotic names. It is all around us in Nature, and it is most definitely a natural energy - in other words, it does not exist in man-made materials such as plastic. Curiously, one of its unusual properties is that it is contained by iron!

Beyond this I cannot tell you what this energy is. There is no scientific equipment that can measure or detect it. Like The Tao, if you knew what it was, you wouldn’t be dealing with The Tao. As Douglas Adams once wrote about the Universe itself, if it were known it would undoubtedly change its essence into something infinitely more complex. However, this subtle energy can be worked with. It forms the basis of all magic. It can be moulded and directed by the human mind, although it will not bend to its will, I have found. When this subtle energy is accumulated then feats of magic become more possible. When the energy is directed and infused into the land, then the land can be made fertile or barren. This energy has the power to give gradual life or leech it. It can affect the elements. It can balance where there is imbalance. It is the force of natural magick, and thus should be of keen interest to anyone professing to take on the mantle of being a druid in the modern era.

It is the Blood of Gaia pumping to the Pulse of the Universe.

Defining Dowsing
I’m sure that if you’ve visited any sacred sites that you’ve inevitably seen those people walking around with little metal rods, and you’ve possibly even chatted to them about what they’re doing and why. You will undoubtedly have come away with a variety of answers: looking for water, or finding an archaeological structure (like Time Team without Tony Robinson), treasure hunting, perhaps. They may have told you they were tracing the paths of earth energies, or even findings the traces of ghosts of previous presences at the site. Oh yes, dowsing goes from the mundane to the esoteric ends of life’s spectrum alright!

Dowsing is certainly a tool with a very ancient provenance. Despite what some sources may tell you, we don’t really know how far back it goes. One thing we can be assured of – the megalith builders, whoever they were, would undoubtedly have used a method such as dowsing to locate, orient and validate the structures they built, in addition to the techniques of surveying under the jurisdiction of the Dodman. So that’s pretty early then – before the farming communities developed, before it was considered something unusual to do. Some think that the early proponents might not even have needed tools such as dowsing rods to do this because they could just sense the earth energies. Nowadays that’s a skill that takes many years to develop, and a lifetime to explore.

Other Divination Tools
Other divination tools can also assist you in similar ways when working in the field of subtle energies. For example, crystals provide focus and protection when working with energy; tarot cards can reveal information in symbolic form that dowsing cannot (except through lots of questions which are quite hit and miss), but tarot cards are hard to use outside on windy, wet and cold days! Dowsing rods and crystals are much more practical. There is the sense of intuition, of course. Developing intuition should be the end goal, but dowsing can help whilst you do this to a level you feel confident with. Dowsing is not an end, it is a tool that you should aim to render unnecessary eventually. Dowsing is definitely not the only tool that will help your druidry, but it is one of the easiest to learn, the least esoteric, and most practical to employ regularly. In the next sections I will take you through how dowsing can help in this way.

Defining Druidry
Druidry is also the discovery of, and understanding of Nature. If it only had that element to it then this would make druids simply nature-lovers, or biologists, but there is one additional dimension to the understanding of Nature, and that is an appreciation of its spiritual dimension. Druids have a relationship with Nature in which the divinity of Nature is acknowledged. As a philosophy, a concept of the divinity within Nature has also been called pantheism, but I consider pantheism to be different from druidry. Druids are not seeing gods in every part of Nature: for Druids, Nature IS the divine. This is an important distinction, I feel.

The patterns we discover and appreciate in Nature are the same patterns that we can discover when dowsing. Dowsers and druids alike venerate the energies of Nature and both seek to understand these energies better, knowing that natural forces could offer us a safer and more harmonious future than the forces that mankind alone had unleashed upon the planet recently. Dowsing and druidry offer a path of intergation, not disintegration - appreciation, not depreciation.

Druidry is a mental, emotional and spiritual relationship with an "Other" force or consciousness - a sentient otherness, which we might call Nature. Whether you think that divinity is within you, outside of you, or that you are encompassed by it - it is an individual decision, but not one that prevents you from participating. Either dowsing or druidry alone are powerful tools for psychological and spiritual development, but taken together they re-enforce each other in so many ways. In this section I will explain some of the practical levels at which I believe the disciplines of dowsing and druidry coincide.

The Path of Energy
The flow of Nature, its divine imperative, proceeds unabated irrespective of whether our focus or intention is directed toward it. When we "go with the flow" things become easier because we are working in harmony with this intended flow. This is not a "laissez faire" attitude - this is not attitude of The Dude of The Big Lebowski. Becoming tuned to the direction and meanderings of The Flow is not an easy process - it involves attention, a willingness to accept constant change, and a belief that the outcome will serve a purpose. Both dowsing and druidry can assist with making choices that move us closer and maintain us in The Flow of the Nature's divine intention.

The Paths of Learning
Dowsing can quite literally find us paths through Nature, i.e. trails, tracks and lines of energy connecting sacred sites or centres where these energies accumulate. Druidry can be seen as one of humankind's methods of finding a path towards enlightenment, or a greater understanding and clarity of how to work with Nature, and a process of discovering (or acknowledging) and working with the powers of Nature. In former times, so we are led to believe, Druid Colleges took children from a young age through up to twenty years of training in order to develop them as competent masters of the art of druidry - a 'calling', and a life path indeed.

Crossing Paths
The crossing of paths can also mean the positive response from two dowsing rods crossing when something is achieved. Nothing is more positive an experience than seeing the look of shock and surprise when a new dowser tries dowsing for the first time and gets the rods to cross, knowing that they were not the ones consciously responsible for making the metal move. It begins to call into question the whole edifice of their existing belief systems. Many of those who have been called to study the path of druidry will recognise this feeling - at once something familiar, welcoming and re-assuring, yet which causes great philosophical upheaval in our search for acceptance in a social structure.
Where paths cross in dowsing terms is a special place where the flows of the two forces interact. They may combine harmoniously to amplify or complement each other, adding to the complexity. They may overlap each other producing a new effect. They may disrupt each others' flow causing re-direction, or inharmonious conjunctions. Whatever happens, the conjunction is different from the singular path.

The Fringe
Dowsing is undeniably still a fringe 'pseudo-scientific', nay paranormal activity, and is viewed with great suspicion by the dominant scientific community at large. Similarly, I feel, druidry is regarded as a 'fringe religion' by many of the spiritual or religious communities, who distrust the stories they hear of naked cavorting and quasi-satanic rituals. Yet people within dowsing and druidry know this to be at the very least a narrow-minded mis-representation, and at worst a slander.
Both dowsing and druidry are paths for the brave - those people who dare to go their own way and to be a bit different - those who care little for the regard of most others, but who tend to have a high regard for Nature.

Spiritual purpose and direction
Consider "purpose" and "direction". Both dowsing and druidry suit the metaphor of The Path - the journey towards something strived for, towards enlightenment, with the travel more important than the destination. What is learned along the way determines the future direction. Dowsing follows the "life force" and Nature generates it, and frames it in a meaningful way, giving it direction and purpose. This may seem a little overblown, or may strike you as hyperbole, but it is in the nature of the divine to bring about wholesale changes in one's life - it can be that intense and challenging. I have seen people try dowsing once and walk away stunned, their minds in turmoil, reeling at the implications of those rods turning without their direct input and against their expectations.

In my own spiritual path I am continually reminded of a phrase from Carlos Castenada's series of books, in which the character Don Juan Matus, a Yacqui Indian shaman, continually reminds Carlos that the only compass necessary upon the journey through the hardships and delights of shamanistic training is to decide whether the path upon which one treads is "a path with a heart". A sound moral compass.

Sacred Space
We all demand a little space. We each preserve either a special place known only to ourselves as being special, or we preserve our own body space from the invasion of other people. From time to time we crave the opposite of this space, and we seek sacred union, but often we seek solitude and a space to call our very own. The special space within which we can be free we might call our sacred space.

Some people are able to overcome their social inhibitions and congregate in a communal sacred space where they can feel free to show how much they are in synchrony with Nature. Many of us reserve such behaviour for our own sacred space.
In this section I discuss how to define such a space, how to find a suitable place energetically, and a simple druidic concept to make the space sacred. There are, of course, as many ways as there are people, and you must find your own, but I present a common process.

Auras and nemetons
One of the first things I learned to look for when dowsing was something's 'aura'. I must have read this somewhere - living things had auras. I discovered that people have auras and that some people can see them as colour fields around people. As I began to dowse the extent of these fields around people I came to understand that the aura is indeed a set of coloured fields that is closely associated with several key energy points of the human body.

When I found that I was able to have some control over the size, strength and quality of the aura that I had around me then I understood that it governed the area of 'influence' that a person controlled. I was able then to turn my investigations to other living species and find similar, if not the same, living subtle energy fields surrounding those entities too: animals and trees in particular. I practised dowsing for the edge of the aura of trees to see how large they were, how strong, whether obstacles influenced their shape, and what influenced their quality.
After reading Emma Restall Orr's highly influential book "Living Druidry" I became familiar with the concept of the "nemeton".

The nemeton is the equivalent of a sacred space:

"The nemeton may be a physical temple, stone circle or forest grove, but more often in this spiritual tradition where most people practise alone, it refers to a far more personal idea: it is the sacred haven of the individual. It is the place where we go in order to let go of the world, where it is easier to feel safe and free, to breathe in the beauty of the earth." (p64, 'Living Druidry' by Emma Restall Orr - Piatkus Press)

Emma talks of being enfolded under the protective nemeton of friendly trees, cosseted in their cape of subtle energy that can only be felt by one prepared to spend the time attuning to such things. I learned to do the same, and after some initial feelings of reluctance (on both sides) I became friendly and attuned to many types of tree, and have felt the benefit of that ever since, in terms of their protective qualities and their knowledge. If I can attune to the tree I will use its protective spread as a living nemeton, able to let go of my mind in order to fully engage with Nature.

{next section...'Protection']

by **Vapour Trail** » 01 Mar 2010, 19:08

Protection
Working at known sacred sites is, I believe, one of the most energetic experiences available to the spiritual questor. However, you are not the only one who has ever worked at these sites, and not all experiences that have taken place at sites have been beneficial and wonderful. Some sites have become imbued with negative, forceful or imposing energies that will not aid you in your spiritual journeys, or help you to develop. You should therefore consider, when approaching a new site for the first time, how you feel about the 'vibe' of the place. Do you feel aligned and in control?

When you begin to open up to a site you may discover it does not feel good, or that you may begin to feel not in control of the forces there. David Furlong issues this warning:

"When venturing into the exploration of subtle energies we need to appreciate that some of these energies can potentially be very destructive....We need therefore to create a form of protection that allows us to adapt to different environmental circumstances." (p.35, "Working With Earth Energies" by David Furlong -Piatkus Press)

He goes on to describe a few meditations designed to form a protection around the seeker for just these circumstances, and I recommend that you find just such a method too before you begin to open up and attune yourself to ancient sacred sites. Most are highly beneficial, but all seekers come across something unexpected on their travels eventually, and none of us are immune to this whatever level of awareness we may have developed.

Finding the most energetic place
Whenever I visit a sacred ancient site one of the most important things I do is to find a place within the site that is suited to my own particular energetic qualities. You see, I found out (much to the disappointment of my macho ego) that I am aligned to feminine energies by nature. Not exclusively (a balanced person doesn’t neglect any energy form) but by inclination I felt drawn to and better when within a female energy formation or power centre. A power centre is a place where energy accumulates, whether naturally, or by the design of our ancient megalithic site builders who knew how to design structures that could shape and form energy of all types and alignments to suit whatever their requirements were.

When I visit a sacred site I am usually keen to discover the whereabouts of a "friendly" power centre, and use my dowsing rods to ask for the "best place" for me to be. One only has to stand at such a spot for a few moments, being silent and tuning into the feelings of the body in order to feel the benefits of being on such a spot - you don't want to leave! It's like being empowered, showered, with a subtle energy - a bubbling stream infusing and energising you. If you feel the complete reverse of this effect - a draining, or weakening force, then you have stepped into a power centre that is opposite to your alignment - one that you are not attuned to naturally, and you may even get a headache if you stand there for too long.

People sleeping over energy centres to which they are not aligned can suffer long-term illness and this concept is called "Geopathic Stress". There are many theories as to its cause, but I have found many simple ways to counteract such spots by neutralising, re-composing or diverting such energies. This is a large topic and not one that I can go too far into in this article, but if healing is your thing, then I recommend you read Jane Thurnell-Read or Roy & Ann Procter's books on the subject. David Cowan also has some information on his LeyMan web site (resources listed at the foot of the article).

Marking Out The Directions
Once positive, beneficial and empowering locations have been identified then their interconnectivity and their sources can be discovered by following the dowsing rods along the lines of energy that go to form the power centres. People like David Cowan have traced such lines for many miles across the countryside. Hamish Miller and Paul Broadbent travelled the length of the legendary Mary & Michael Lines that weave around the Dragon Line found by John Michell. That line stretches from Norfolk, through places like Avebury, down to Land's End in Cornwall. Not all lines are so long, however, and for druidic purposes it is usually only localised energies that you would need to map out of attune yourself to.

One of the simplest things you can do in terms of marking out energies with a dowsing rod is to mark the four cardinal directions. Who needs a compass when you have dowsing rods? Try it for yourself and you will think you are some kind of homing pigeon! The rods can easily find you the point where a rising sun will appear, or where the moon will show itself over a particular hillside, or where the stars are positioned relative to the earth. It beats carrying around a large amount of reference material and charts!

Once you have established the directions you may wish to draw into your space whatever energies you feel may be appropriate to our needs. This is where you have to rely upon your own instinct and intuition to bring in those elements that define and support you in your aims and pathways. Dowsing rods will only help you determine which elements may not be suitable, and it is always worth checking your ideas before you embark on working with energies if you are not sure.

Protecting The Space Energetically
When describing a circle to work within for a druidic ritual or simply as a protective space within which to attempt to attune to Nature I have found that the dowsing rods can assist with that aspect of the work too. Have you ever wondered whether the protective elements you have described around the circle are actually protecting you as you expect? Yes, this may be subjective, and here the cries of "you're only finding what you want to find" are ringing in my ears, but as with determining the strength of a tree’s aura, for example, you can also determine the relative strength of your magic circle in the same way. I use a portable scale of relative strength - in other words I ask the rods questions such as "Relative to other circles I have drawn, and on a scale of 1-10, how secure is this circle I have just drawn?". The answers, of course are only useful to you, as with so much of this kind of work. Low scores may guide you to discover external factors affecting your circle.

I always feel more assured to know that I have described a circle at the most energetic place, that there is nothing "unexpected" within that circle, and that it is properly protected just as I need it to be before I settle down with all of that out of my mind to attune with Nature and progress in magickal work. using the rods in a similar way I can also determine the relative strengths of the Sun and Moon energies that I may wish to work with at the site. All useful stuff to know.

Mazes and Labyrinths
For as long as art has been inscribed into rock there have been a depiction of concentric circles and pathways that define labyrinths and mazes. Whether these symbols are practical, symbolic, spiritual or artistic has never been explained, and probably should not be. Today the maze and labyrinth has come to be seen as a depiction of a psychological or spiritual journey through to self-knowing. I believe there is a little bit more to it than that.

The Form of the Spiral
The spiral is the inherent form within Nature that energy taken when it is in motion - from the smallest of things to the largest, from the microcosm to the macrocosm, from the movement of sub-atomic particles to the shape of galaxies. The spiral nature of water was discovered and utilised by a man named Viktor Schauberger, an Austrian scientist who studied hydrodynamics. He was the inventor of the world's first log flume, of a flying saucer that flew, and a revolutionary turbine that used the concept of an implosive vortex to effortlessly and efficiently power an engine with little noise or heat by-products.

It may come as no surprise then that when dowsing the overwhelming terminal form of subtle energy is a spiral, whether clockwise (deosil) or anti-clockwise (widdershins). These forms are engraved onto hundreds of rocks where they are called cup and ring marks, or more generally simply referred to as neolithic art. Scotland in particular has many fine examples of these shapes, as does Ireland's Boyne Valley. Are they art, a symbolic language, a representation of the earth energies, or perhaps a map of the stars? Currently there are only theories without coherence, but these artefacts carved in the rock accompany many, many stone circles and other ancient sacred sites across our lands and into Europe.

Carved marks (highlighted with pencil) at Nine Ladies stone circle

Whatever their purpose, it seems as though ancient man was keen to accurately and skillfully record these shapes for posterity and to relate them to the ancient megalithic monuments that were the sites of his reverence, his use and his toil. Superimposed we see that the spiral, the circle and the progression of the wheel of the year are intrinsically bound together in their expression through the positioning, design and use of these ancient stone sites.

Labyrinth design
The form of labyrinths and mazes are all based upon the spiral path. The mathematics of the shapes comes from concepts of sacred geometry and number. Mazes and labyrinths appear throughout our collective world mythologies and have been reproduced throughout the ages as they have fascinated one culture after another for generation after generation. In this country some of the oldest designs have been built up of turf and despite the evil of the Enclosure Acts and disrespect through the ages, some still survive. Many more are being created or recreated today as the concept is being revived by modern pagans and appreciators.

At a recent dowsing conference visitors were encouraged to trace the path of a labyrinth laid out in coloured ribbons with the aim of achieving the kind of meditative state required for dowsing by the time the journey in and out had been walked. The journey was the therapy - the symbolic movement along a long path, circumscribing the goal, yet assured of reaching the goal, was deemed to be sufficient a learning experience in itself. The movement through the various rainbow colours of the ribbons symbolised the movement through the seven chakras from root to crown, each stage bringing its own degree to the enlightenment process.

Classic labyrinth design

In this way the labyrinth symbolises and encompasses the concepts of the spiritual journey - that path is winding, it sometimes leads away from the nearby goal, but eventually - with courage, confidence and conviction - the goal is reached, only for the practitioner to have to unwind their steps in order to be released again. Along the way the practitioner learns that the goal was not what they were seeking - it was the state of mind engendered by the journey.

As a personal journey I have found that the labyrinth's design varies for each person. One design does not suit every person who walks it. It is therefore best for each person to create their own design specific to the purpose that they intend, and this is where dowsing can help with such a process. Using a dowsing rod, keep in mind one of the rainbow colours and ask the rod to show you the path that this colour would make in your own personal labyrinth. Trace this path, marking it as you go, and then proceed through all the other colours. your design may be classical or unique - but it will be the design most suitable for your own development.

Sigils and Manifestations
Just like walking a labyrinth, dowsing earth energies and formations results in a meditative journey across the landscape, moving in sacred geometrical patterns, tracing waves and spirals, and entering into a meditative state of mind in the process - in fact, this aspect is essential to the exercise of dowsing.

Sigil from the Genius Loci at Castell Bryngwyn

Where this process interlaces with druidry and other magickal practises is that earth energy can take on symbolic forms, whether naturally-occurring or induced through manifestation. A sacred site or other natural space may have a sigil drawn in subtle energy at the entrance to the site, or at a power centre. Finding and re-tracing these sigils, I have found, will allow the druid to enter into a more permissive relationship with the energy forms that guard and preserve ancient sites - the genius loci. The concept is akin to unlocking the site's potential, or having the "password" the permits entry to the deeper realms. Here's David Furlong again:

"When you have satisfactorily connected with his presiding spiritual presence you will be given a pass code or a symbolic key, which you can then use to tap into the energy...The energy in these centres is immensely powerful and can be used for all sorts of healing and inner development work." (p.53, "Working With Earth Energies" by David Furlong - Piatkus Press).

I recall one specific incident, for example, at Wayland's Smithy in Oxfordshire in Summer. I approached the site by the familiar tourist path, but as I tuned into the feel of the site I became aware of the "real" entrance being between two nearby trees. I used the dowsing rods to determine whether the site had a sigil formation that could act as an entry permit. I found such a symbol hidden away at the rear of the site, outside of the energy aura of the barrow. I memorised its form, and returning to the 'entrance' trees I traced this sigil on the ground between them. Immediately I felt "pulled" into the site and spent the next few hours enthralled by the knowledge that I became privileged to, and the general feeling of joy that such an act had engendered. I didn't want to leave!

The Meditative State
The meditative state of mind is one in which the rhythms of the brain are consciously changed by techniques such as relaxation, by quietening the sensory inputs such as external noise and light, and by trying to prevent conscious thoughts from entering into the frontal mind space. This is merely a high level summary of such techniques, and there are many ways that these things can be achieved, however the goal is to allow the same brain patterns to emerge as one would find when a person is just about to go to sleep. Just before the sleep state is entered the brain's rhythms are in a particular state and this state is very conducive to successful dowsing, among other things. The state has been called by eastern philosophers "mind/no-mind' - a state in which thoughts can be allowed to occur seemingly of their own accord and without being 'conjured' by the subject themselves. A small gateway is open, a channel, across which images and feelings can flow bi-directionally - in from the aether of "the outside" and out from the depths of one's own self. In a sense, a communication link is established in this state of mind between you and The Other, or Nature.

Accessing The Other knowledge source
What is "The Other"? Oh, such a difficult question to answer! There is barely time and space to go into it. Rather than answer that question, all I will say is that The Other is whatever source of sentience, thoughts and knowledge can be derived from outside of one's own conscious awareness. Some people may be content to align themselves with a purely psychological model such as Freud's, in which these connections with another sentience is considered to be a connection with the deeper recesses of one's own mind space - the unconscious ID, or Super Ego. Others have turned to Jung's explanations of a Collective Unconscious. Some have turned eastwards and talk of the Akashic Records - a great storehouse of knowledge from which the human race can obtain information. These models are unimportant. However you wish to define your connection with this sentient knowledge source - whether it be you, or something else - the point is that whilst in a meditative state of mind it is possible to communicate with The Other, to obtain or be given knowledge previously unknown to you, to converse with something that seems to be more intelligent and aware than oneself.

In druidry we might consider The Other to be Nature or Gaia - "the force that through the green fuse flows", as Dylan Thomas had expressed it. These are archetypes that assist us with putting a "face to a name", so to speak. In terms of dowsing, The Other is the source of the "answers" that we are receiving through the dowsing rods, or intuitively if no rods are being used.

Receptive Mind: the dowsing state of mind
Beta rhythms are our normal waking consciousness state and are very active, with tall spikes and narrow amplitudes. In contrast, Theta rhythms are more relaxed, with shallower and wider peaks and troughs, looking a little like a heartbeat rhythm when graphed.

"Theta is one of the more elusive and extraordinary realms we can explore. It is also known as the twilight state which we normally only experience fleetingly as we rise up out of the depths of delta upon waking, or drifting off to sleep. In theta, we are in a waking dream, and we are receptive to information beyond our normal conscious awareness. Some people believe that theta meditation awakens intuition and other extrasensory perception skills." [http://www.meditations-uk.com/index.html]

The state of mind required to dowse is similar to that required to perform communing, or natural magick. The mind should be focused on a topic or desire, yet unfocused in terms of leaving the "reducing valve" open to allow ideas and images to enter. It is beneficial to prevent your own conscious thoughts from dominating or interrupting the flow of the stream of information. This requires a stillness of mind to achieve - a certain disengagement. I find it helps to un-focus the eyes. This is the same state of mind as when I meditate at sacred sites to encounter the wonder of Nature, thus the state of mind required for dowsing helps druid meditation and vice versa, because they are essentially the same. Sometimes this state may be termed "hypnogogic" or "hypnopompic", depending upon whether is occurs going into or coming out of the sleep state. For the purposes of dowsing or druidry I call it "receptive mind".

Objectivity through disengagement
Disengagement from trying to direct the outcome ensures a more objective and consistent, and ultimately believable experience - whether that be in relation to dowsing or in one's dealings with The Other/Nature. The element of surprise at the revelations of the dowsing rods and the intuitive druidic experience of vision and gnosis (knowing information intuitively) is obtained by remaining objective. When I speak of objectivity I mean it in these terms: firstly, not attempting to influence the outcome of the process. Secondly, I mean not allowing one's rational mind to re-route decisions, or close off avenues of investigation or possibility. Thirdly, I mean trusting that the outcome is true if the feeling that accompanies it is one of truth.

For example, I get a pang of guilt if I feel I have attempted to force the dowsing rods to elicit a specific response to a question - this makes me re-try the question until I am sure that the response is consistent and I am no longer envisioning the result before it happens. This takes a certain amount of rigour of mind - a discipline of intention not to get embroiled in trying to influence the outcome. Similarly, I sometimes attempt to interpret the results to fit the pattern of what has gone previously. Again, I often feel a little guilty when I am aware that I am doing this. Usually, I simply write down the responses and try to make sense of them when I have exhausted the stream of questions about a specific subject, then interpet them later. At other times one response will naturally lead me to another question. I do not pre-judge a method, only a topic.

We know so little and have re-constructed so much of what we believe druidry is all about that we often fall into the trap (and it is a trap, a channel that limits one's scope to work) when we attempt to make out natural feelings about a topic conform to the expectations of what we have read, heard and believe other people to be doing. Many followers of the druidic path engage in other people's rituals, and follow other people's rules, methods and myths; they copy their movements and stances, chant their words, sing their songs. Tradition has a part to play in donating a symbolic history, but in my view specific rituals and objects ought to be determined by each person individually. This is especially true for a path that is largely re-constructed in the modern era.

Each person has a part to play in this rebuilding process. For example, it is my contention that the Celtic festival days do not have any specific energetic value in themselves. In other words, they are a day like any other in terms of the energy levels in land or at sacred sites. Yet many people in our tradition mark these days specifically as though this day and only this day, on a specific Gregorian date, is significant in some way. It is only a marker of a movement into another period of time - a post to pass indicating we are moving into another part of the year. Yet some would insist that it has special meaning in itself and celebrate this day and only this day at this time of year. I was only able to come to this understanding through the combination of dowsing and druidry.

Working With Trees
The Druid has long been associated with the tree. One could almost say it has been a long-standing companion, a dear friend, a wise tutor. One of the things that can be learned about trees through the skill of dowsing concerns the status of any particular tree: is it happy, healthy, well situated, affected by its environment, or happy to assist you in your druidry work?

Dowsing a tree's aura
Like all living things a tree has an aura - the extent to which the bio-chemical subtle energy fields can be extended. The extent of the aura is both a reflection of an intention on the part of the living organism to declare its presence, and a reflection of the organism's "inner strength". It could also be taken to be a reflection of the organism's vitality, as poor condition and health will diminish the aura's extent and strength.

To dowse a tree one only has to approach it with dowsing rods from a respectable distance, or to work outwards from the trunk, using the rods to determine the extent of the energy field of the tree. Over time you will build up a library of suitable questions, and a knowledge of how aura sizes and strengths relate to types and sizes of trees. You will undoubtedly be surprised that small trees often emit large and strong fields, possibly a function of their youthful life force, whilst some elder trees may have faltering or weak fields, particularly if they are sited close to electricity lines or sites of man-made degradation such as quarries or rubbish tips. In search of a reason you may begin to ask interesting questions about how such factors affect trees once you come across a few surprising results for yourself.

Establishing a connection
The aura of a tree can be a nourishing and protective environment for a druid. In the following quote from Emma Restall-Orr's book "Living Druidry" she recounts how she approaches a beech tree in early Spring:

"Not yet under the reach of the branches, my weight upon but the furthest of her roots stretching out beneath the ground, the change in the air before me is distinct. 'Sacred spirit' I whisper, almost aloud, 'you know who I am.. once again I come here in peace, with the gentleness of my soul, my intention to honour the waking day, seeking inspiration..' ...Offering my own truth, my trust I ask, 'may I enter your temple?' ... The acceptance is palpable. As I walk forwards in the clearing beneath her bare canopy I am washed through with her song, like the certainty of real laughter and the scent of mist-wet wood. And with my body aching in the cold, for a long while I simply sit on the mud in the darkness, breathing." (p.68. 'Living Druidry', Emma Restall Orr, Piatkus Press)

Emma is finding the information she needs about the tree from communing with it. For her this is a process of attuning to the tree and becoming confident with it. This works the other way around too, as the tree needs to become equally familiar and comfortable with the person who is communing with it. However, dowsing can facilitate this process by determining a suitable tree very quickly through a directive such as "Take me to a tree that is suitable for working with to do <x>!"

The important elements here are trust, honesty and integrity. You are dealing with a living entity that has more wisdom and experience that you do, and which has much to offer in terms of protection, nourishment and knowledge. It pays to be respectful and sincere in your dealings with trees.

The Druidic Stages: Birch, Yew and Oak
One druidic viewpoint that I can relate to particularly is that of the three stages of druidic development as represented by the birch, yew and oak trees. These trees (and others) are both symbols and sources of gnostic learning. They can be communed with, as can other types of trees, of course, however, these trees offer specific knowledge relating to their species.
Here dowsing can assist with the druidic learning process by acting as a verification tool.

Communing is a difficult and sometimes unclear activity: when is the voice of a tree talking to you and when is the voice your own? Which information is coming from some other source, and when is it simply emerging from your own consciousness? These things may not be important for you to differentiate - however, I find dowsing can often resolve some of these dilemmas and others that emerge from interacting with trees. For example, I have found that the oak tree is particularly fond of giving information in the format of a cryptic phrase or using symbolic language. I was once informed "The Sun is the Key, The Moon is the Door." Dowsing was able to help me narrow down the possibilities as to what this information referred to, so that I could concentrate on topics that would bear fruit.

More mundanely, dowsing has been able to identify specific places to visit that would allow me to make progress in my studies. I simply have to draw up a list of possibilities - this place known to have birch trees, or that place - and then dowse as to which one would be the most productive for me at this time. This has been particularly useful for me as I have moved to the Yew stage in identifying old yew trees that are retainers for lots of ancient knowledge, and which have a temperament suitable to be worked with.

It has been said that trees are all linked together, and that one example of a species is representative of the whole, or that they are all in connection with each other and so the choice of individual tree is not important. I have not found this to be the case. For me, the dowsing rods are able to clearly differentiate between several yew trees within an area and specifically choose one tree that is the most suitable. They have never let me down yet. Whenever I have tested this by trying to connect to a different tree other than the one suggested, whether before or after checking with the rods, the connection has been difficult or unproductive. Something somewhere knows the score!

Of course, I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't work through any difficulties with communing, or that there is no benefit to doing so. What I am suggesting is that dowsing makes the process of progress much more efficient. Time is saved. Information is quickly sorted through. Suitable times and locations are easily determined. The best work is done in conjunction with the dowsing rods as a guide or check on proceedings.

[next section...Working With Crystals]

by **Vapour Trail** » 01 Mar 2010, 19:22

Energy Work with Crystals
In the not too distant past I was unable to comprehend of how crystals could in any way affect the way I lived my life, but that was before I knew about subtle energies. Now that I do know something about them they have become a valuable resource - not essential - but valuable. I have found that crystals can act as either magnifiers, absorbers, attractors or reflectors of subtle energy. They can bring the energy into a focused beam, or disperse it into a wide area.

Crystals can retain energy within a structure, or they can prevent energy from passing through. This was clearly something known to the Megalith Builders too, for they carefully designed quartz-rich rock into their structures, especially those which were constructed for transformation (or some similar shamanic principle – astral projection, deep meditation, shamanic flying, vision-questing, for example).

Crystals have a multitude of uses, many of which I am still discovering. Experimentation is the key. I have found through experimentation that it is wise to ignore anyone else's crystal layouts (the positions of crystals relative to each other). As with labyrinths the only layout that is important is your own. I am aware that this may deeply offend current crystal users, and for that I apologise, but I base my work on personal experience not the work of others, so I can't speak from any other perspective.

When I discuss "crystals" in this section I am referring to any crystalline rocks, particularly igneous or metamorphic rocks that have large crystalline content. Many ancient sacred sites have been constructed not out of crystal, but out of rocks that contain a high quartz content or have large crystalline structures to them.

Choosing crystals
The qualities of various crystals is a field through which I am still working. There are many reference books out there that can assist you with this, but I would not recommend using any of them if you are a dowser. Instead I would recommend you buy a varied collection of crystals and stones and then use the rods to determine what you need whenever the need arises. Essentially I let the rods decide which stones are required for specific purposes. In this way I retain a degree of flexibility, and do not begin to impose my or anyone else's "knowledge" of the properties of crystals. Frankly, the sources for such information all refer to each other or differ vastly anyway. Begin to build up your own vocabulary of what crystals mean for you, and what uses you can put them to, is my suggestion.

Crystal layouts
The placement of crystals and stones determines the efficacy of their effects. Crystals can be used to gather subtle energy into a specific place, to enhance its effects, and to focus that energy to be directed towards a specific place. This kind of activity is only possible if the crystals are placed in a particular formation to achieve such aims.

There are two main forms that can be used to do this - the circle and the parabola. The circle is used for working with earth energy, and the parabola is for radiant energy. For example, if you were working at an ancient stone circle, looking to accumulate as much subtle energy as possible, you could form a circle of crystals or stones around yourself and then those energies that passed through that circle would be focused upon you. If you were working at neolithic dolmen structure at the Summer Solstice and wanted to re-direct the energies of the Sun to a particular place you might form a parabolic crescent shape with several crystals, then use a single crystal placed at the parabola's focal point to direct the energy to a specific place.

These are just general techniques - it is best to allow the dowsing rods to direct the exact placement, spacing, selection and direction of any crystal or stone layout providing you have stated clearly what your purpose for the layout is. Sites, weather conditions, astronomical alignments, energy forms and so many other factors are difficult to mentally appreciate or calculate, so I always allow the rods to direct such operations for me. Of course, if I were very skilled I may allow intuition to do the same work, but I trust the rods more!

Determining success
You are really only limited in the application of forming, storing and directing subtle energy by your own imagination and intention. Of course, those of us who follow the druidic ways of life may feel bound also by moral limitations to such work as well. Personally, I will only experiment with a new way of applying energies if I feel it is justifiable, and that it will not adversely impact someone else. In a connected Earth view this could be a difficult judgement to make, but we have to be reasonable about this - some experimentation is necessary because we have so little knowledge to guide us from our ancestors - only what we can glean by our own re-fashioning of their knowledge.

Whenever I perform a new work with energy I dowse to determine its effects upon me, on the locality and wider if the work had obvious connections to other sites or people. I use the rods to gauge the degree of change, the strengths of the energies before and after the work, and any time frame surrounding the energy work - for example, will the outcome be immediate, or will the change only become evident at some future date?

When the results of experiments in dowsing, druidry and energy are checked you may be surprised by the outcome. External elements such as forces from other sacred sites, the energies of trees and other nearby plants, or the influx of energies from distant stars may be drawn into the work you are doing. Because such things are seemingly far beyond the wit of a normal human being to calculate I always try to keep the intentions of the work as close to Nature as possible, i.e. as natural a process as can be done, and one with the least personal gratification involved. I consider myself to be a worker, a servant to these forces, not their master, and this humility has always served me well. Luckily nothing too adverse has happened to me yet, and so it is with confidence that I espouse this guidance.

Chakra Fields and Healing
The concept of the chakra points within the human body is an ancient one pre-dating any written knowledge we may currently have concerning them, for sure. The earliest records are the ones from the Chinese culture, but I am convinced that they were known about long before this, as evidenced by the mystical practises and the nature of the energy effects of particular sacred sites that have construction dates going back to 6000 B.C.E and beyond. However, I am not trying to convince anyone of the history for the concept - what I want to draw your attention to is the spiritual and therapeutic aspects of the chakra points, and how they correspond at time to concentrations of energy in and around sacred sites. I also want to demonstrate that New Age therapeutic practises such as crystal healing, Reiki healing or other forms of subtle energy manipulation have a basis in the concepts that are a crossover between dowsing and druidry.

Dowsing an aura
Dowsing using a pendulum or rods, or for skilled practitioners, by the use of energy sensitivity alone (e.g. Reiki) can determine the status of the energy field of a human being, animal or plant. Each living being has an energy field that is composed of bands of colour that appear to be similar to the colours in the light spectrum (i.e. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). These colours appear at various distances from the subject, such that the red frequency range is furthest away, and the indigo range is close to the subject. Some practitioners suggest this is also a vertical correspondence aligning to the chakra points of the human body, going from the red 'root' chakra at the base of the groin, up to the indigo 'crown' chakra at the top of the head.

source: http://www.natmedtalk.com

Each of these colour ranges have a particular meaning and correspondence to a particular part of the body, or they govern a specific human system, according to different medical theories. This is not something I want to go into great detail about, because it is not an area that I have any knowledge of, nor do I use it often. Instead, I simply wanted to say that through dowsing it is possible to identify any parts of the colour spectrum that appear to be too strong, too wide, too weak or too narrow. Of course, one needs to have a baseline to work from in such things, and I do not. Instead, I use to dowsing rods to ask specific questions such as, "Cross when I am within a colour band that is not naturally balanced." and then work from there as to whether it need calming or boosting in order to bring it back into equilibrium.

The method then employed to re-balance anything uncovered during the examination is also highly variable, and again is not something that I am particularly skilled in or knowledgeable about. I do, however, know people who are, and they tell me these methods can be highly effective even if the mechanics of it are not understood. They don't need to be - they just need to work in restoring health to the person, animal or plant. That is the ultimate test of their efficacy, regardless of whether you or the subject perceives this to be a placebo effect, a natural process, or an assisted process. I simply want to point out that there is a cross-over between dowsing as the investigative tool, and the druidic practice of energy or crystal healing.

Healing with crystals
In a similar way to the method used to heal a negative energy pool, or to divert or deflect a "black" stream of energy, crystals can be used to congregate energy, focus it, and re-direct it towards a beneficial aim. In addition they can be placed in formation to create a barrier against unwanted energies in order to protect an individual from unwanted energy flows.
My method of healing is to have no method. Instead of following any specific recipe for a cure, or a standard practise, I use the dowsing rods to determine the number of crystals required for the individual being treated, what type of crystal these should be, and where they should be placed. It's a case of each person being individual and too many factors to calculate for any standard practise to work as effectively as one that is designed specifically for the individual.

Harmonic and dissonant fields
Harmonic fields are fields of energy that your body is naturally sympathetic with - with which it resonates in tune. Standing within such fields you will feel enlivened, uplifted, happier and empowered. Dissonant fields are the opposite - they feel draining to you, leeching, they make you feel weaker, more lethargic. Such fields have obvious potential health applications, if only that if you feel weak, you could find an harmonic field and within minutes your body will begin to re-balance itself to a beneficial energetic state.

What is interesting is that what may be harmonic for one person may be entirely neutral (i.e. has no effect) or dissonant for another person; each of us it tuned differently at different times, although we seem to have a general tuning which is our preferential state. Myself, I am roughly categorised as a "moon-aligned" person, and thus I resonate well with female earth energy and radiant moon and planet energy fields such as Venus. Others may be Sun aligned, in which they resonate with male earth energy and radiant solar and, to a lesser extent, star energy.

This all sounds rather wacky, but it is not too important to know whether you are solar, stellar or lunar aligned. If you are a dowser you can use this skill to determine nearby sources of harmonic or dissonant energies, and these can be found irrespective of whether you are aware of which energies you resonate with. The instructions can be given to the rods to take you to a sympathetic energy field and they will do so.

The druidic connectivity and intention techniques (some call this 'magic' - I prefer the term 'natural magick' to differentiate it from anthropocentric energy processes) can be used to draw harmonic or dissonant energies to you. Of course, crystals or other tools could be used to manipulate the energy to move, but this is not entirely necessary. Visualisation, intention, focus and 'right mind' can achieve the same ends without any paraphernalia.

Working in harmony with the flow of the universe is the goal of natural magick; understanding the strength, location and direction of flow of the earth's energy systems can help to bring this harmonisation about much more easily, although it is not essential to understand these things, only beneficial. It makes for greater efficacy in magickal work, and can provide a level of reassurance that work has been done to the level required for change to arise from the work.

Finding power centres
Once you become attuned to the feel of good and bad energy points you can just stay there until you feel better. If you happen to stand in a place that feels bad ('bad vibes') then you'll soon move as long as you are being aware and 'switched on' to the possibility.

Dowsing for a power centre is easy. The simple instruction should be termed to suit whatever you need at the time, but an instruction to the rods such as "Please find a power centre to which I am attuned" will allow you to follow the direction of the rods until they cross over such a location. Similarly, you can simply adjust this to find a power centre that may have inharmonious energies, and then perhaps you may test whether these are specific to you or more general.

Once you have stood on power centres that are both harmonious (i.e. to which you are attuned) and their opposites, then you will begin to notice certain effects. 'Positive' centres will feel like there is an up-draught of bubbling air through your feet. You may smile whilst stood there. You will want to remain there, and will enjoy the experience. You may tingle slightly. You may feel warmer than your surroundings (a good way of staying warm in Winter!).
'Negative' power centres, i.e. those that are not in tune with your own natural frequencies, are going to feel draining. When you stand in such a place you will feel disturbed, not quite right, uneasy.

If you are sensitive to energy flows you will feel the life force being drawn out of you through your feet, as though your life is draining away down the plug hole of a sink. You may feel slightly dizzy, or nauseous, and you may begin to feel a tightening around the temples of your head as though you are about to get a headache. You may only be able to stand in such a place for a short time before feeling the urge to move away.

Some places are naturally draining, but this should not necessarily be seen as a 'bad' thing. Sometimes it is good to have negative or unhelpful energies drawn out of you like the leeching of a poison. At other times it is unhelpful to be infused with more energy. Either way - as druids we should be seeking to be using energy centres to achieve a balanced state of being, as this is the most healthy state - an un-stressed state of being - neither wanting energy nor leaking it. Of course, for specific purposes we may seek to energise ourselves with sympathetic power centres, or to cleanse ourselves of useless energies by having them drawn out of us.

Power centres can occur at the most unlikely places, and often the places you find seem totally innocuous. Of course, they may not always have been so innocuous, and once upon a time they may have been places where people invested energy, such as an altar, or love nest! There is a lay-by down the road from where I live that is full of positive energies created by the investment of loving energy from young courting couples who stop off regularly. Equally, some places may have been invested with the energy of a murder, or the dying pains of a wronged person, and these places also leave a strong impression energetically.

I have found some typical sites for power centres include:

There are many other places, and a good place to start is at ay obviously spiritual or religious place, or a beauty spot. This list is only intended as a starting point for you to find one for yourself. Houses have them, as do gardens. Perhaps take a look at your favourite place in the garden, your favourite room or chair, or anywhere you perform devotions. Did you find something there?

Sacred Sites
Almost all of the work I do whether in terms of druidry or of dowsing is done at some kind of sacred site. There are many reasons for this, not least being that I am fortunate enough to have so many sites available to me within easy travelling distance. My other reasons for visiting them, however, are that I believe they offer the most energetic potential to assist me with getting energy experiments done, for communing with trees and guardian spirits of such places, for working with elementals in their wild state, and for utilising the inherent energy of the places where such sites were located.

The benefit of presence
Although dowsing can be done anywhere, even remotely against a far object or out of time, it is particularly relevant when performed at sacred sites where the energies of Nature flow freely. Many sites these days have been constrained or destroyed, so finding a fully-working free site is difficult. Yet it is always worth the effort. Map dowsing may seem like the sensible idea when the rain clouds gather, but there is no way to bring all of the interactivity of the energy fields that you have into contact with all the energies of the site.

Consider too, there are many factors that affect the state of the subtle energies: the weather, the proximity of celestial bodies, the time of year, of time of day, the living energies of plants and animals, the reaction of the guardian of the site to your presence. None of these things can be worked with in the same way back in the comfort of your house, or done from a representation of a sacred site (e.g. map dowsing). You simply have to be there to get the full experience.

Beyond the energetic field connections that you will miss, there are the synchronicities and additional sense information that you come across whilst visiting ancient sacred sites. The black dog that sits in your path, the crows that begin to make a racket when you move a stone, the sudden smell of a flower even when you're in a moorland setting, the wind rising up out of nowhere when you call it - these are not sense experiences that you can replicate from afar.

There are many times I have felt a call to visit a sacred site at times that are less than convenient. Wherever humanly possible I heed the call. No-one said this journey was going to be easy, or would not demand sacrifices of time and commitment. It is always a choice, but in the end Natural magick requires a natural setting.

The energies of the Eight-Fold Year
Druidic magick gains particular power if it is employed at specific times of the eight-fold year, when energies from the celestial conjunctions and positions add their energy into the mix. Recently I have found that only the Solstice and Equinox times actually have any energetic significance as days in themselves.

During the wheel of the year's round the male energy (which is Sun-based) rises and falls with the position of the Sun during the day, and over the course of the year. This means that the male energy is at its absolute strongest when the sun is shining at noon on the Summer Solstice. From that point it begins to fade away slowly, daily waning and waxing through night and day phases. At the Winter Solstice the male energy is at its weakest. This is a simple fact of the relative position of The Sun to The Earth - there's nothing too mystical about it, although it is difficult to track! Luckily the Megalith Builders have done most of this work for us at sacred sites like stone circles, which track and mark the positions of noteworthy celestial events.

Female energy is dependent upon the Moon for its condition, and so is strongest whenever the Moon is full. Of course, the Moon is always cycling around the Earth too, moving away and back towards the Earth over the course of a year. The female energy is thus strongest when the Moon is full on a clear night, and when it is at its apogee. I usually consult a Moon Calendar to anticipate such times.

Using these concepts it is rather easy to predict the likely relative strengths of the male and female energies on any given day or time of year, taking into account the weather conditions too. So much so, that I judge the times I should be doing my most important energy work to be either a Full Moon night, or one of the four Sun days of Spring and Autumn Equinox or Summer and Winter Solstice.

The four festival days of Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain I have found are markers denoting the points from which it becomes more efficacious to work with energy in particular ways. In themselves they have no energetic characteristics, but instead distinguish the starting point for a phase of energy characteristics that lend themselves to particular tasks. For example, between Imbolc in February and Spring Equinox in March is a very suitable time to awaken the energies of the land by visiting sacred sites and interacting with them. This time period in particular suits re-awakening work, and one doesn't have to look too hard to take the cue from Nature that this is exactly what is going on all around you at this time in the land itself.

Gnostic versus divined information
There are many ways of appreciating places and times of power, but druidic methods of "being and seeing", i.e. opening up to all of the sensory information available, will bring great rewards. Dowsing has a role to play here too. Sometimes, when you are in the midst of a communion with Nature she can throw up a puzzling image, statement, or feeling that needs some assistance to decode. Dowsing can help here. It is possible (with great care always to check how much you are affecting the outcome) to ask questions about such interactions.

Dowsing does not respond well to questions that are not simple "yes" or "no" answers (ok - "maybe" is a valid response too sometimes), but you need to consider very carefully how to phrase your enquiries with dowsing rods to elicit anything more than more questions! However, with care and thought dowsing can take you further in your studies than leaving the riddling to chance, and can speed up your progress enormously, I have found.

Building an energy map
Dowsing offers the druid an insight into the fields and forces, and their relative strengths, in order to be able to gauge whether connection and thus gnosis is going to be more successful. Of course, your own personal state and power are also part of the equation.

Dowsing allows you to discover the lines and extent of the fields of energy that are normally closed to the senses, and which many druids simply rely upon intuition to determine for them. If you are not yet at the stage where you can sense energy and know its qualities, then dowsing offers the ability to not only delineate their direction, strength and quality, but also allows for a certain amount of confirmation that again reduces doubt, leading to a stronger druidic connection with Nature. One less thing to consider whilst meditating perhaps?

Having a concept of the layout of a sacred site or a sacred space can help you to identify potential problems with 'invasive' energies from elsewhere, to quickly tune into the state of a place, to know the best place to make contact with Nature, or to simply know which paths to walk around a site, or where to stand for a particular effect. For example, I visited Glastonbury at Summer Solstice last year with only a starting point in mind. When I got there I let the rods guide me to the right place to meditate. At those spots I visualised the next place to visit. Each place had a part to play in unlocking a chakra point in my body until I arrived at Glastonbury Tor on the second day and achieved what can only be described as a spiritual enlightenment. I was guided along this path by the dowsing rods and the druidic meditation process. Powerful stuff!

The ritual entrance and exit
A casual approach to a sacred site is fine, but it will bring about a casual response (or none at all) from the site itself. Finding an appropriate entrance, a sigil, a ritual path and an exit to a site will allow you to enter into a different relationship with the site. Finding an entrance brings about the opportunity to ask the guardian of the site (if there is one) for permission to enter via tracing a sigil's shape. Once such permission is obtained (and I leave that up to you to determine what such permission may be) then you are in a different relationship with the site from the outset.

Being invited into a site through an entrance suitable to you (one might even say, designed for you) moves you into a magical sphere of operation. Communion is easier, meaning is stronger, intent is rapidly communicated and understood, the atmosphere is more favourable generally. These are my findings by performing such entries. Similarly, if one exits by an appropriate point too then the connections are severed properly, and little work is required to "clean up" energetically afterwards. You are only left with the task of giving thanks at that stage.
Enter and exit appropriately and the forces within the site are all the more appreciative of your attention to detail.

Finding purpose at sacred sites
I have left the toughest topic for last. If you have followed me this far then you have doubtless been given several things to think about, some of which will have struck a chord with you, some will have annoyed you, others you will have dismissed, one or two you may have wondered what I am talking about. I understand, truly I do. You see, what is all this about, after all? "Energy work", "Natural Magick" and "Site guardians"? "Sigils"? "Sun and Moon alignments", "Power Centres" and "Gnosticism"?

This is only the start of it. What I have been discussing is how to open up the floodgates of a mystical and divine life path, along which you will find much more challenging things that simply dowsing with copper rods, or visiting sacred sites on a full moon to trouble your sleep patterns! It is only when you are some way down this path that you begin to define a form to the questions that relate to its purpose. For a long while you will be able to dodge this through sheer curiosity and wonder, but eventually the two worlds of dowsing and druidry are going to combine in such a way as to send you headlong into the philosophical questions that I hinted at right at the start: those tricky ontological, teleological and eschatological questions that we spend so much time working around, but not working on. "Why am I here?", "Who is answering me when I dowse?", "Is there anything else sentient out there?", "What is divinity and do I need to bother with it?", "Should I be the master of these energies or their servant?"

In the course of my studies on these subjects I have spent many hours contemplating just those questions, and the answers were forthcoming - then they stopped. Nature herself stopped doling out the ready-made answers. I realised that the only way I could continue to get a response from Nature was to stop asking for guidance, and to begin to define a purpose to this aimless wandering through her bountiful gardens. Through meditation, rational enquiry from the basics upwards, and through a desire to find my own path, I have finally found the crossing of the two streams: I have a purpose to this work, and the work serves my purpose. Good luck to you on your own path - I hope you find your purpose too.

Conclusion
I have discussed some of the possibilities of combining the arts of dowsing and natural magick, and I hope that you can see the benefits of doing so. Dowsing is a wonderful tool for discovery, for reassurance, for qualification and for opening up unconsidered possibilities. There are many things you will have read that you will have disagreed with, I am sure. I hope some things made you think about experimenting to validate their veracity. Please, take the information and take it further for yourself. That is why it is here. I have presented my latest current thinking, but this is not the only opinion, nor is it the correct opinion. It is my internally consistent opinion that I hold for now.

The results obtained from dowsing are entirely tailored to the individual. Correspondences can be found with other dowsers findings, of course, as there are many elements that are universal, but the aim should be to find out everything for yourself, rather than take anyone else's experiences or findings as definitive. We are engaged in a dynamic system (Nature) that is in constant flux, and unlike science we may not be dealing with absolute reproducible truths - rather relative and time-bound truths. Your relationship with Nature is, after all, YOUR relationship with Nature and no-one else's.

Dowsing, like all forms of divination, are filtered through a human mind and are therefore subject to the vagaries and distortions of your own experiences and knowledge to date. As a skill it is subject to the same imperfections and any other human activity, and is not subject to scientific scrutiny as it does not conform to its rigorous straight-jacket. Nevertheless, its ancient and universal adoption and application ought to tell you that there is a core of truth at its heart, even if that truth an never be revealed to everyone because their own mental constructs have limited the possibility of it. You are ultimately limited only by your ability to imagine the possibilities that dowsing can offer, just as your are in druidry.

It is much more important to understand the working of your own mind than to understand the workings of dowsing. No book can tell you this information. No book can teach you magic. No book can explain druidry. Books and web sites can only suggest possibilities to you. What is important with both druidry and dowsing is a willingness to explore the possibilities with an open inquisitive mind in search of understanding that is useful to you alone. To paraphrase Wittgenstein, "There is no objective truth. There is only that which is true enough for you."
Supplemented by constant learning and practice dowsing is a powerful, portable and reliable means of travelling further along the spiritual path towards your goals. How far you go with it is down to your own ability to imagine the possibilities, and in your commitment to furthering the relationship with The Other, and to developing yourself to align with Nature's flow.

References
Recommended Reading
My blog site - The Hedge Druid (see signature below) - contains a list of sacred sites visited (some with earth energy diagrams), an extensive bibliography, plus hundreds of posts discussing ancient site visits, dowsing in general, and druidic natural magick. A comprehensive list of reading material concerning the topics of dowsing, druidry and related areas of study can be found on the Bibliography page. Here is a shorter list of some recommended books on the subjects discussed in the seminar.

Dowsing resources
Working With Earth Energies – David Furlong (Piatkus) - The best paradigm for the cross-over between the world of energy working and the concepts of dowsing as a tool to assist that work.
Earth Energies– Serge Kahili King (Quest Books) - Tries to explain what the subtle energies might be by recounting the historical studies undertaken by various scientists. Nothing about the information is convincing, however, other than that something exists.
Spiritual Dowsing – Sig Lonegren (Gothic Image) - The beginner's guide to going beyond the obvious practicalities of dowsing and into the realms of human energy work.
Sacred Geography– Marko Pogacnik (Lindisfarne Press) - Pogacnik adds a third dimension to dowsing, making the forces of nature come alive in the world around us, even if his concepts are difficult to grasp or believe at first.
Patterns of the Past – Guy Underwood (Abacus) – one of the first to make the bridge between a scholarly approach and a common touch in his explanations of the phenomenon.
The View over Atlantis – John Mitchell (Abacus)- a classic of the genre. The book which linked sacred geometry, ley lines, earth energies and history together.
Geopathic Stress & Subtle Energy – Jane Thurnell-Read (Life Work Potential) – a good introduction to the concepts of how the earth's electrmagnetic fields can interact with the uman body, sometimes to detrimental effect.

Druidry Resources
The Book Of English Magic– Philip Carr-Gomm & Richard Heygate (John Murray Publishing) - happily they did not leave one single element out of this study, and consequently dowsing takes its rightful place as a valid means of magical enquiry beyond being a simple divination tool.
Living Druidry– Emma Restall-Orr (Piatkus) - for her ability to vividly describe the concept of the nemeton field or aura that surround each living thing.
The Healing Energies of Trees– Patrice Bouchardon (Journey Editions) - puts into pictures what many people have struggled to express in words. A simple, clear book with stunning visual impact.
Walkers Between The Worlds – Caitlin and John Matthews (Inner Traditions) - learned, erudite, yet practical information on some basic concepts of getting in tune with the magical Natural world that druidry extols.

Useful Web Pages
http://www.leyman.demo.co.uk - David R.Cowan's site which goes into some detail about ley lines, geopathic stress and death energies. His books are even more interesting.
http://www.megalithic.co.uk - details of the location and status of sacred sites, and very comprehensive.

Thank you for reading,
Vapour Trail.

by **Bracken** » 02 Mar 2010, 00:41

Gimme a couple of hours and I'll be back with you.

by **Bracken** » 02 Mar 2010, 02:09

Vapour Trail, that seminar is so important for the Ovate work I am doing at the moment. I particularly enjoy your encouragement to practice, practice, practice. It has reminded me that I definitely do get astonishing results when I approach my studies in that way, whereas it is possible to find myself struggling a bit when I resprt to doing things by the book.

The section on trees and that on crystals has given me a new way in, and for that I thank you.

You have such an inviting style of writing that I almost went off in the middle of reading to see if I've got some pipe and a coat hanger.

There are places in my house that I need to check... now...

by **Dathi** » 02 Mar 2010, 07:50

Shew, this is a really "chunky" seminar! So much to explore, learn and experiment with. Off to get my copper rod. Here is the challenge..... I had a pair of rods but one has gone missing, attempts to use the one rod to find the other have failed!

I love this bit...

Nothing is more positive an experience than seeing the look of shock and surprise when a new dowser tries dowsing for the first time and gets the rods to cross, knowing that they were not the ones consciously responsible for making the metal move.

It was watching the utter disbelief on my Dad's face when I was a kid that got me fascinated by dowsing. We were visiting family on a farm when he was inveagled (much against his will and beliefs) to "have a go". Whilst walking over an underground stream the forked branch literally snapped off in his hands. I have dabbled with dowsing for some time now, with mixed results and little knowledge. The rods are quite effective for physical things (water pipes and electrical cables) but I've not encountered anything "special" at the places we visit on our danders. This seminar puts a lot of things in perspective.

Curiously, both my lads have had rod crossing experiences and my youngest guy seems to have a strong ability. I have also experimented with a pendulum.... to no effect. But earlier in the year we were poking around the woods with the pendulum. He was holding it and it seemed to be indicating a certain direction so we followed it. After some time, the pendulum started a crazy clockwise spinning and I thought he was just messing. But at the base of the tree where this happened he found an expensive "Leatherman" multi-tool. Now his pride and joy!

Happenstance!?!?

BTW, your blog is fantastic too. So thanks for this seminar and your blog.

Guess what I'll be doing this weekend :where:

CFN,

Dathi

by **Bracken** » 02 Mar 2010, 10:21

I've always used a pendulum Dathi, and it works a treat, but I basically sit and ask it questions. I'm going to try it now with the other things mentioned here.

by **Vapour Trail** » 02 Mar 2010, 18:30

Thank you very much for your positive responses, folks. I have enjoyed reading them. I'm so glad that it has encouraged you to get practical with the old rod(s) and pendulum.

It's really difficult to find something with one rod, but it can be done (actually I seem totally rubbish at locating objects, so I don't know that I'm the best to advise). You can "program" the single rod to rotate back on itself, for example, as a sign that you have arrived at the correct location. You say something like "when I find 'x' I want the rod to turn completely around", and then actually do that motion to "program" it in. I've tried this, and out in "the field" it works (I've done it with a 6 foot branch, so I know it can be done), but at home or elsewhere when I've needed it, it has failed to produce "the goods", as it were.

This mind/brain/Other interface is a tricky thing to understand. Some poeple are naturals, as you say. Others struggle. Some never get it. Others can't stop doing it!

Thanks for your kind words. And I'm glad you like the blog.

VT

by **Cosmic Ash** » 02 Mar 2010, 23:31

Hi Vapour Trail!
Thanks for posting this! I'm waaay too tired to try and read it right now, but I'm really looking forward to it. I've been struggling to learn dowsing whilst working on Ovate too! I love your blog and I find it very inspiring.
CA

by **Donata** » 03 Mar 2010, 00:25

I'm in total awe at the comprehensive coverage of your seminar! I really need to read and re-read it. This is an amazing work! Dowsing is a passion of mine, a tool I use daily. Mostly I use a pendulum.

Congratulations and thank you!

Donata

by **Vapour Trail** » 03 Mar 2010, 00:36

Donata wrote:Dowsing is a passion of mine, a tool I use daily. Mostly I use a pendulum

Hi Donata,

Yes, we've bumped into each other before on the forum when answering other about dowsing questions, and I've read many of your posts.

I understand a lot of people use the pendulum as a dowsing tool, and it seems particularly suited to healing work, which is pretty static work. However, my passion is sacred sites, and the pendulum is less practical for following earth energy trails around. I am now sadly out of practise with a pendulum. But I guess it's "horses for courses" - whatever suits your style!

It's all about the connection, not the medium.

Always a pleasure,
VT.

by **Vapour Trail** » 03 Mar 2010, 00:40

Cosmic Ash wrote:Hi Vapour Trail!
Thanks for posting this! I'm waaay too tired to try and read it right now, but I'm really looking forward to it. I've been struggling to learn dowsing whilst working on Ovate too! I love your blog and I find it very inspiring.
CA

Hi Cosmic Ash,

Ha ha - I understand - it's a long post and a lot to get through! But in the cold light of morning I think there will be something in there for you to chew on. If you've ever dowsed, then you've got a head start with the kind of topics I discuss.

Another blog reader, huh? Blimey! I better "up the quality" levels! ;-) People are reading it!

Thanks for your kindness,
VT.

by **Dragonwyst** » 05 Mar 2010, 12:41

I have yet to finsh reading the whole thing, but I got stuck on one point up near the beginning - the sort of "stuck" that makes me resist further information until the matter is cleared up.

If iron cancels prana, then we would go around cancelling prana wherever we went by virtue of the iron in our blood. Also, there would be a dearth of prana everywhere that there is iron in the earth. Now any Australian worth his/her salt will tell you there is a reason why Australia has a red heart - iron. This continent is seriously iron-rich. Yet - I find no difference in here in my awareness of prana after and during thunderstorms, at the edge of the sea, in the morning dew and so forth, from what I experienced in South Africa - which is also pretty iron-rich, for that matter. So either this claim needs to be expanded upon (though I'm not convinced of its relevance to dowsing and druidry and I do still have to read the rest of the seminar), or I have to say that I have no reason whatsoever to believe that something scientifically measurable and occuring naturally - like iron - should cancel something not scientifically measurable - like prana.

by **Vapour Trail** » 06 Mar 2010, 10:39

Hello Dragonmyst,

You have a seriously good point. The statement I made about iron affecting this subtle energy was out of context and a "throw away" comment that, when I proof-read the article, stood out like a sore thumb. I considered removing it many times.

And yet, I think that the statement simply needs to be worded better. What I have found in my dowsing travels is that there are often places where iron fences have caused the subtle energy to become constrained. Many megalithic sites have got iron fences around them in the UK, and I have noticed that this contains the subtle energy field such that it does not pass beyond the iron.

I will therefore amend the rather glib statement that I put in a bad context, and try to make it more meaningful and accurate.

I hope this will allow you then to continue reading. Thank you for pointing this out and ensuring I dealt with it properly.

VT.

by **Vapour Trail** » 06 Mar 2010, 10:47

OK. Doesn't look as though I can edit the article now. But I will amend my copy for future reference.You know when you write something and you just know it's going to come back at you? That was the line!

For "neutralise" read "contain".

VT.

Moderator Note: Edited per request

by **Dragonwyst** » 06 Mar 2010, 23:42

Vapour Trail wrote:OK. Doesn't look as though I can edit the article now. But I will amend my copy for future reference.You know when you write something and you just know it's going to come back at you? That was the line!

For "neutralise" read "contain".

VT.

Okiedokei - thanks. The clarification makes better sense. A fence of iron makes a more solid boundary than iron in its various natural states. Also, I think there is something about this in faery lore. My source, however, is a writer of fiction, but she grew up on a diet of Scottish faery tales from her aged aunts and has done her research extremely well.

by **Vapour Trail** » 07 Mar 2010, 18:58

Dragonwyst wrote:My source, however, is a writer of fiction, but she grew up on a diet of Scottish faery tales from her aged aunts and has done her research extremely well

Hello again Dragonwyst (not "myst" - sorry, my eyes are beginning to see 'm' and 'w' interchangeably these days).

Although not an avid student of the faery lore (simply because there's so much of it) I do nevertheless try to research any folklore about the sites I visit, either before or afterwards, in order to pick up on clues relating to the nature of the energies.

I am often coming across a few gems hidden away in tales about stones coming to life on particular nights (e.g. they are at their most energetic in moonlight, at a specific time of the year), or that the have particular healing qualities (indicative of the types of energies, such as predominantly male, female or neutral). Stories involving particular saints can often be traced back to a particular planet that influences the site's energies.

It's all very complex, and currently I am trying to build up a common and meaningful vocabulary in the subject of interpreting such folklore. It's building, but any information from any resource is considered. For example, I often refer to Janet Bord's book "A Traveller's Guide to Fairy SItes", or to W.Y.Evan-Wentz's "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries" for hints. Folk memory is possibly our last link with the past strand of knowledge that was handed down through the generations.

However, I am not averse to recreating that body of knowledge anew, as I think my article is weighted towards. Personally, the overiding concern is how I relate to Nature right now, but I do take every opportunity to learn from any available source. Thereafter the decision is mine as to what and how I make use of that knowledge.

VT

by **Dathi** » 21 Mar 2010, 19:28

Greetings Vapour Trail.

Hey, I need some help here. I'm no dowser but enjoy and am fascinated by this topic and over the years I have had several powerful experiences with various forms of dowsing. ALL IN THE PAST. So now, your seminar got me all fired up. Apart from this I also got a book on dowsing and did some serious net research. Like your self (your blog) I do a lot of outdoor exploring to sacred, interesting or otherwise special places. So recently I have taken a pendulum along to check out all these amazing things, earth energies, male / female spirals etc. Result? Nada, zilch, nowt. The pendulum just dangles inertly.

With my missing copper rod still gone (the other has also disappeared now!) I figured I'd better get some new kit. I chatted to a water engineer who keeps coat-hangers in his van for dowsing pipes. So I made a pair of rods out of wire hangers. Then, happy days, I found a roll of hollow, fairly malleable copper tubing (used for brake fluid etc in engines). With this I made a whole set of short and long dowsing rods. I moon-soaked them, dipped them in a nearby sacred well, smudged them, and passed them through fire. Also made a set of hazel forks etc.

Since then I have tried out the lot of them at a variety of places. Nothing at all, no response. Nowt!

So, when I ignorantly but intuitively used my old rods, they were like magic and highly effective (even spectacularly so!). Now I have a head full of knowledge and a whole collection of dowsing "kit" and nothing happens.

Whatcha make of that? :where:

CFN,

Dathi

by **Vapour Trail** » 25 Mar 2010, 00:40

Hi Dathi,

It seems as though you're suffering from one of maladies that can affect the dowsing mind. The conduit that is required for dowsing is something that is a psychological pathway not unlike those pipes you mentioned you were using. When the conduit is open and clear of obstruction, the subtle energy just flows through. When the conduit is constricted or blocked then the energy doesn't go anywhere, no matter how hard you will it to.

There is undoubtedly a kind of spiritual dimension to dowsing. Sig Lonegren talks of this quite neatly and concisely in his small book "Spiritual Dowsing". Another book that covers this subject is T.Edward Ross & Richard D.Wright's book "The Divining Mind". What both books have in common is that they try to tell you that you need to relax, not to force the thing to happen. This is such a zen-like concept that it's impossible to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it, yet I'm sure you have, just in many other different scenarios.

You see, I suspect there's an element of wilfulness in your dowsing attempts. I suspect that, like I have on many occasions, you are trying to will the experience to occur. This conduit through which the energy flows is like a paper tunnel - if you grasp it it will constrict to leave no gap. You have to hold it gently. You have to allow the dowsing to happen of its own accord. You cannot make it happen, any more than you can push water back up the stream. Let it flow as it will. As IT will, not as YOU will.

I'm not trying to tell you off here - I'm trying to offer you and everyone else who has had the same futile attempts a chance to see that the dowsing experience is literally in your own hands - in your own mind. You have to train your mind to be a 'channel' (I don't like that term, it's so loaded, but you know what I mean).

I read and watched a lot of Bruce Lee just before I re-discovered dowsing. That actually helped a lot. He talked of the concept of "mind - no mind", a kind of in-between state in which you are not consciously making thought forms (such as words or ideas) appear. Your mind is still, but aware. It is calm, but alert. It is directable, but not directed. Just before a fight you can see Bruce going into just that state of mind. When surrounded on all sides by several foes he isn't actually looking at any one of them - he's looking at none and all of them. He's watching for a movement, it doesn't matter by whom. He's in a state of mind where he's highly alert, but completely relaxed and confident.That is the state of mind you are after.

I recommend reading a recent seminar (last month's I think) that Badger Bob wrote about meditation. That's a good starting point to getting your mind re-tuned for the dowsing experience. All this stuff about bathing the rods in moonlight, smudging them and passing them through fire.... what were you thinking that was going to do to help? :-)

You lot do make me laugh sometimes with your bizarre rituals! Where DO you get this stuff from? :shrug:

Love and respect,
VT.

by **Creirwy** » 25 Mar 2010, 22:46

VT..

I've read every word and I feel I have only really skimmed on the amount of knowledge and inspiration you are sharing with us. What a corker of a seminar! You have really spoilt us.

I was very skeptical about dowsing (how on earth I can be skeptical I dont know lol) until I read the bits on it in the Book of English Magic and I started to be converted. Your seminar as totally converted me mentally to the topic and Im eager to give it a go and explore even my humble garden to dowse out which spot will be 'good' for me

Fantastic stuff, thank you so much!

The Druid Grove

MARCH SEMINAR - Dowsing and Druidry

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