a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Rhabdomancy, Fern Gully And Witching...

Nope, not with a broom stick, but witching with divining rods.  I have always thought there is a cave here.  I've never found it.  After watching a show on witching with divining rods, I thought I would give it a try.

You can witch for anything. You just think of what you are witching for, picture it in your mind and let the rods do their work.   All my life, I have witnessed people witching for water and saw it work.  Never knew how it works, still don't, but I have seen it many times.
This was my fourth of July adventure, after my camera died.  I packed my bag with the witching rods hubby had made me, a hand shovel and clippers.  I wore shorts and flip flops, and you're right...not a good idea.

Fern Gully has always been here.  It is back set into the mountain side and is always full of ferns.  There were many fallen trees and hubby pushed them out of my gully because he knew I was pining to explore.

I began to clip briars (in shorts and flip flops!) so I could clear the way to witch for a cave.  I dragged large rotten logs and clipped briars making a pile.  Had to make it safe witching.

I had played with the rods a little in the house and they kept crossing at one point in the living room, finally realized that is where the water line first comes into the house.  Now, I am excited.

I am walking slowly up the draw and thinking, cave, cave, cave.  The right rod whirls in my hand and points to a dog laying in the cool dirt.  I say, not dogs, cave, cave, cave and continue up the gully.  About seven feet from the flat ground the rods cross.  I retreat and approach again, same spot, they just crossed.  I could feel them moving in my hands.  I do a little digging at the spot but the roots are so thick, my Mickey Mouse shovel is not working well.

I walk back down and wham, it jumps to the dog again.  I moved some more logs, rake down some rotten leaves and right above where the dog is laying the rods cross, quickly.  I retreat and approach again, same spot, same action...then I see a small hole.  It was not a den, just a simple hole in the ground.  I get my shovel and dig some.  The hole is widening. I hit a perfectly straight rock about six inches thick and I can't see either end of the rock.  I dig under for a while til I decide it's just too darn hot for digging.

I sit to rest and drink and cool and think.  I find a strong cedar stick and hammer it with a rock into the ground at both locations.  The discovery will have to wait for another time...when I have my  boots, a sharper shovel, and a pry bar.

16 comments:

T. Powell Coltrin said...

One of my childhood memories is of a neighbor man using a devine rod to find water so we could dig a well. Thanks, this idea will be a rural post.

If I ever travel that way, I want to walk in the fern gully. I'm just saying if you see me, don't shoot.

Country Gal said...

Some contracters still do use them !
Great post, you are truely a wonderful writer ! I felt like I was into a good book, more, more ! A wonderful adventure ! Have a great day !

ellen abbott said...

Gail! Not fair! Get back there and start digging!

Tamara said...

Coooool Gail!! That sounds like so much fun, wish I was there using the rods with you! lol And thank goodness you didn't run into a snake out there by yourself moving logs and leaves and stuff. omg be careful! You have to go back out there with a bigger shovel and see if there really is water under the rock lol keep up posted!!

Pat said...

First of all, I was bothered that you said that you just had on shorts and flip-flops. And I'm thinking, "What, she went out topless?" Okay, so I got past that. Then I'm thinking "flip-flops" is she nucking futs? What about snakes? Spiders? Twisting her ankle over rocks? Obviously I'm a city girl!

My mother-in-law told me a story of when she lived on her parents farm. Their well was going dry and a visiting missionary came with a divining rod and walked over their land. He stopped where the sticks crossed. Said, "Dig a well here." Then he yanked a hair out of his long beard, pulled the gum out of his mouth, and attached the gum to the hair. Next he asked for a glass of water. He held the piece of hair high above the glass and the gum started to swing back and forth. I don't recall how many times, but he said, "You'll have to dig 220 feet to reach water." And they did. Just amazing!

StitchinByTheLake said...

First of all that's way more work than I would want to do on a hot summer day. :) But I'd love to be there watching you dig! blessings, marlene

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

shorts, flip flops, yeah everyone else has done the mother hen thing so....lalalalala but oh my, I want more of this fabulous tale.
I love to watch folks witch like that. My Uncle used to do that for all the neighbors out at the ranch when I was a kid in the Jurassic period. Linda

Susan Anderson said...

Wow, this is getting exciting!

Can't wait for the sequel...

=)

Nancy said...

Next time you go out, think "gold, silver, diamonds..." and forget the cave! ;)

LindaG said...

I never heard of divining for anything but water.
And I was always skeptical of that. ;)
I wonder if you are making your own cave...
Happy Saturday! I just hope you didn't get into any poison ivy...

Farm Girl said...

I always love your adventures. I am glad the divining rod worked. I watched my grand mother do it many times. I watched a man who was looking for the water line a few years ago and it worked.
I do hope you find the cave.
I can't wait until you do.
This is a great story. Thanks for sharing.

Empty Nester said...

Equip yourself woman and get back out there! I want to know what you find!!!

Queen-Size funny bone said...

Flip flops are dangerous in the wilderness. I wonder if they wore them on little house on the prarie. lol

Anonymous said...

Awesome Gail! I did three posts on dowsing/divining...they were book reviews. Go check them out! You may like to find them. I got them at the library. I can't wait for you to go back! I haven't started practicing yet. I want some rods (but I may just use two wire hangers) and a pendulum but can't find one that "speaks" to me yet!

Oh, have you practiced you other "gift" much yet?

Dreaming said...

I can't wait to hear what you find when you go out there with proper tools. How neat.
We tried 'witching' for water on property we have in NC. We were going to have a well dug and the well driller told us they were coming up with a lot of dry holes. We asked him to drill where we had a strong reaction. He his water... lots of water... a lot closer to the surface than many wells he had been drilling. That made me a believer!

Irene said...

Get properly dressed, woman and go ou there again. I can't wait to see what you find. Maybe another spring?

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