| For some dowsers the wand or pendulum will, | | | | to one another. For example, it is found in |
| in response to questions, accurately indicate | | | | the Sufism of Islam and in the Kaballah of |
| the depth at which the water will be found | | | | Judaism; in aberrant Christian sects as well |
| and the flow of water per minute and even the | | | | as in satanic and UFO cults. |
| quality of the water! No impersonal force can | | | | |
| transmit information. | | | | Of course, the Roman Catholic Church would |
| | | | argue that the apparitions of "Mary" and |
| Furthermore, many modern dowsers now use dry | | | | other "saints" and the mystical experiences |
| sticks containing no moisture whatsoever, | | | | of "saints" in trance have nothing to do with |
| while others use metal wires and even string | | | | the occult but come from God. The same |
| and plastic devices. And in addition to | | | | argument would be made by Pentecostals and |
| water, dowsers have been known to locate oil, | | | | charismatics (whether Catholic or |
| deposits of minerals, ancient cities, buried | | | | Protestant), who attribute their mystical |
| treasure, or any number of other desirable | | | | experiences and seemingly miraculous healings |
| finds. "To dowse," writes one expert, "is to | | | | to the Holy Spirit. What is the truth? We |
| search with the aid of a hand-held | | | | shall see. |
| instrument... for anything ... subterranean | | | | |
| water... a pool of oil... mineral ore... | | | | In Christian Science and the other Mind |
| buried sewer pipe or an electrical cable... | | | | Science religions, where God is "Universal |
| an airplane downed in a mountain | | | | Mind" and the biblical gospel of salvation by |
| wilderness... lost wallet or dog... a missing | | | | God's grace through Christ's death and |
| person...."8 An editorial in Gold Prospector | | | | resurrection is denied, the connection to the |
| magazine states: | | | | occult becomes more obvious. And when it |
| | | | comes to the mysterious powers manifested in |
| Dowsing is the easy way to get answers to | | | | voodoo, macumba, Candomble, and other native |
| your questions. You ask nature a question to | | | | and nature religions, the occult connection |
| which she (through your instruments) will | | | | is even clearer. |
| answer with a "yes" or "no" .... | | | | |
| | | | That "spiritual" powers which can neither be |
| For instance, you need to find gold; the | | | | affirmed nor denied by materialistic science |
| grade of the deposit; ounces per ton; width | | | | (because they are beyond its reach) do indeed |
| of deposit; length of vein; and depth of | | | | exist has been amply demonstrated among all |
| deposit below surface, and the total amount | | | | cultures, peoples, and religions throughout |
| of ore in tons.9 | | | | human history. The acceptance and |
| | | | proliferation of all aspects of the occult |
| Some dowsers are even able to locate these | | | | are increasingly viewed as perfectly |
| sites for drilling, digging, or diving by | | | | legitimate and desirable in today's world. |
| dowsing over maps! Henry Gross, while sitting | | | | Whether this is beneficial or detrimental to |
| in Kennebunkport, Maine, located three well | | | | the best interests of society and the church |
| sites on a map of Bermuda and described | | | | is another question. |
| accurately the depth to drill, the quality of | | | | |
| water, and the quantity per minute which each | | | | A Widespread and Growing Phenomenon |
| well would produce. At that time Bermuda had | | | | |
| gone "three hundred and forty years without | | | | The proliferation and popularity of psychic |
| drinking water" except for the rain that | | | | networks is evident by the commercials on TV |
| could be caught by various means. | | | | and in newspaper ads. Occultism is one of the |
| | | | growth industries of our time. In November |
| Ted Kaufman, a retired public relations | | | | 1996 USA Today reported: "Kabbalah is the |
| executive living in New York, has worked with | | | | rage in Tinseltown.... "It's the kind of |
| New York State Rangers using his dowsing | | | | thing Jews don't talk about," [TV's] Roseanne |
| abilities to determine whether lost persons | | | | [noted]. ... "I'm a Catholic shiksa," actress |
| were dead or alive and to locate them on a | | | | Diane Ladd says, "but I'm on a spiritual |
| map.11 The first person to discover that | | | | journey...." She was introduced to Kabbalah |
| dowsing could be done over maps was Abbe | | | | by comedian Sandra Bernhard... Jeff Goldblum |
| Alexis Mermet, a French priest, around the | | | | took the basic course. Barry Diller and Dolly |
| turn of the century. "Contacted through | | | | Parton attended a private class. Roseanne |
| transatlantic mail by monks desperately | | | | explains. . . , "[Kabbalah] is about |
| seeking underground water for their monastery | | | | connection between mind and body, astrology, |
| in the mountains of Colombia, Mermet marked a | | | | Atlantis, reincarnation and computers." |
| potential drilling site on a map of the | | | | |
| monastery grounds which, when drilled, | | | | The universality and persistence of a belief |
| produced more than the water required." | | | | in mysterious powers that exist in a realm |
| Others have dowsed over maps to locate downed | | | | beyond the material dimension has been |
| aircraft in remote areas. . . .12 | | | | dramatically demonstrated in the former |
| | | | Soviet Union. For more than 70 years, Marxist |
| Divination: Another Form of Witchcraft | | | | atheistic materialism was forced on the |
| | | | entire populace. At the same time, believers |
| Of particular interest is the fact that, as | | | | in any religion, from Christianity to |
| the Smithsonian article documents, dowsing is | | | | witchcraft, were the objects of relentless |
| now being used to uncover all sorts of | | | | persecution. |
| information answers to virtually every | | | | |
| question one could ask. Dowsing, then, is | | | | Once the Iron Curtain came down, and with it |
| simply another form of "divination" (any | | | | the repression of diverse opinions, belief in |
| occult technique for obtaining information | | | | the occult suddenly exploded. As of this |
| and help from the spirit world through a | | | | writing early in 1997, one of the most |
| physical device). It is strictly forbidden in | | | | popular television programs in Russia is the |
| the Bible. Other divination devices commonly | | | | "Third Eye," aired each Saturday. Its guests |
| used include crystal balls, tarot cards, | | | | include witches, parapsychologists, healers, |
| Ouija boards, tea leaves, and pendulums. More | | | | and Orthodox priests, who mix their peculiar |
| occult practitioners in France are licensed | | | | application of the Bible with crystal balls |
| to diagnose and treat illnesses by the use of | | | | and all manner of occultism. |
| pendulums than there are medical doctors in | | | | |
| the country! | | | | One psychic popular on Russian television |
| | | | claims to be able to tell from a photo |
| That dowsing has always been known as "water | | | | whether the person pictured is alive or dead, |
| witching" is evidence that all cultures have | | | | his or her state of health, where the person |
| recognized a connection between dowsing and | | | | (or dead body) is located, and other data. A |
| the occult. Yet thousands of those who call | | | | Russian woman "healer" teaches how to use |
| themselves Christians, including pastors and | | | | occult power to restore health. Another |
| other church leaders, have been involved in | | | | popular psychic claims to have raised the |
| water witching without apparently being aware | | | | dead in a mortuary and to be able to lower |
| that they have been drawn into the occult. | | | | the level of toxins in food and drink through |
| Many other beliefs and practices now | | | | ritualistic motions of his hands. Then he |
| acceptable within evangelical churches | | | | infuses the food or drink with his occult |
| involve the occult. Alan Morrison tells how | | | | powers and sells it. Purchasers throughout |
| he was compelled to write The Serpent and the | | | | Russia swear by the benefits they have |
| Cross because he "became convinced that there | | | | received in this way. |
| was the need [within the church] for far | | | | |
| greater understanding and discernment | | | | In America, Daerick and Nedrra Lanakila are |
| concerning the meaning of the term occult "13 | | | | the inventors of "energy medicine and quantum |
| | | | healing... healing products designed for |
| The occult invasion did not begin yesterday. | | | | direct interaction with the body/mind |
| At the same time that the early American | | | | intelligence." Through their organization, |
| colonists were stamping out witchcraft, they | | | | Y.A.T.O. Enterprise, they distribute the |
| were practicing it themselves: "Renaissance | | | | "Li.F.E. Energizers System for Vibrancy."16 |
| esotericism astrology, palmistry, and magical | | | | It consists of vials filled with "spiritual |
| healing."14 We see the same incursions in our | | | | energy in an aqueous solution of distilled |
| day. Having once been involved deeply in the | | | | water" designed to "work on all four systems |
| occult, Morrison was staggered to discover | | | | physical, emotional, mental and spiritual... |
| that "so many satanic influences which I had | | | | "17 Many other examples could be given. |
| renounced on becoming a Christian were | | | | |
| gaining increasing popularity within the | | | | A visit not only to large cities but to small |
| Church and were upheld as valid Christian | | | | rural towns across America reveals a |
| experience."15 This trend is increasing. | | | | staggering variety of occult shops, some on |
| | | | the main thoroughfares. There is no denying |
| Good or Bad? | | | | that in spite of the skepticism one would |
| | | | expect in an age of science, interest and |
| Occult powers that produce results which | | | | even belief in the mysterious is growing. Nor |
| cannot be explained by material science are | | | | is there anything new about the occult. "New |
| found in the practice of almost every | | | | Age" is a misnomer. In spite of computers and |
| religion, from much that calls itself | | | | space exploration and communication |
| Christianity to paganism, idolatry, | | | | satellites, neither the gods nor the rituals |
| witchcraft, and Satanism. Occultism is | | | | have changed. |
| present even in religions which are opposed | | | | |