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April 28
thru
May 6
2006 |
Drowsing
Townsend in
the Smokies Spring Festival
& Old Timers Day
April 28 – May 6, 2006
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April 28
thru
May 6
2006 |
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Dowsing is as strictly defined the claimed ability
to discover underground sources of water or metals
by means of a "dowsing rod." Another term used is
"divining." However, this terminology and its scope
have been expanded and is now used with a far
greater range of meanings. Dowsing now includes the
claimed ability to discover almost anything,
from water and minerals to missing children and
archaeological sites. Each dowser will have his or
her specialty. The device any dowser will use ranges
from the traditional forked stick to just the bare
hand. Pendulums, bent wires, wands of various sorts,
and swiveled rods and housings are commonly
encountered. In every case, the device used is a
system in a state of unstable equilibrium, something
that cannot easily be kept in a steady condition,
and which is subject to very slight tremors,
twitches, or changes of inclination. There are an
astonishing variety of metal springs, coils, wires,
balls, threads and bobbing elastic devices, all
trembling and vibrating freely, used as dowsing
machinery.
In the old
times, wells were dug by hand with a pick and
shovel. With the huge amount of effort that was
involved in digging even a shallow well which could
last weeks and sometimes dragging into months for
deeper wells with lots of rock, they certainly
wanted to have some kind of assurance their efforts
would be successful. Because of this, dowsing found
wide acceptance during the colonization of the
United States during the 18th and 19th centuries. We
think you'll find this demonstration of the ways of
the Old Timers interesting to say the least . |
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Some people (both
men and women) were known for having this skill. They were
paid for this work. A female dowser, related that "I spent
one whole day water witching, and when I got home I was
tired than I've ever been in my life. I'd had all the magic
drained out of me." |
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Dowsing, water divining or water-witching, is an
ancient skill, not fully understood by orthodox
science, in which gifted individuals are able to
locate underground water (or indeed any object,
pipe, tunnel, cable, mineral vein, etc.) by means of
a neurophysical response when passing over the
target object. The muscular spasm induced in the
process is usually, but not always, amplified by the
use of a dowsing instrument or rod. These come in
many forms; most commonly, the forked hazel twig,
the modern equivalent (two knitting needles with
their points driven into a cork), the pendulum (a
weight on the end of a string), L-rods (fashioned
from two wire coat hangers) and so on. Most good
dowsers search for 'tangible targets'. These would
be as described above and the efficiency of the
dowser can be tested by digging to verify that the
search has been successful. The ability to find
water and minerals, the outline of buried
foundations and pits is well documented and
accepted, if not fully understood.
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More
recently people are claiming to be able to locate
'intangible targets' or to be able to dowse from a map.
Growing interest in earth mysteries in the 1970s led to the
development of the theory that ancient sacred sites were
located to mark or control the flow of a subtle 'earth
energy' or 'life force' which they believe was an important
part of a cosmic/sacred engineering system in the ancient
past (the Golden Age). This belief, in part came from the
writings of Guy Underwood in the 1950s (not published until
the late 1960s) and was developed by other dowsers,
particularly Tom Graves, who theorized about ancient
standing stones and 'earth acupuncture' and fostered the
belief in 'energy dowsing'. Attempts to measure such
energies have been unsuccessful. |
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Event held at
the Townsend Visitors Center
7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway /
Highway 321 Townsend TN
Contact the Townsend Visitors Center for more information.
800-525-6834 or 865-448-6134 |
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