Dowsing with a Bobber (a.k.a. Wand)

(Please note - a complete introduction and system of dowsing is described under pendulum dowsing - if you are not already a dowser we suggest that you read the pendulum dowsing section first before acquainting yourself with the other tools.)

What is a Bobber?

The bobber, also known as a wand) is not frequently used as a dowsing tool, but those who do use them love them with a passion. It is a useful skill for any dowser to be able to use many different tools, as circumstances of necessity can be unpredictable, and also some dowsing tasks are more easily accomplished with particular tools than others - pendulums or very light L-rods for example can be difficult to use in windy conditions when out of doors.

A bobber is a length of springy material such as a freshly cut branch or "switch" typically two to three feet in length, held more or less horizontally at one end in the hand and weighted more heavily at the end held away from the body.

The weighted tip of the bobber is where the dowsing response takes place, and the responses available from this tool include the tip nodding up and down vertically, swinging to left and right in a horizontal plane, oscillating in a clockwise or anticlockwise motion, or any combination of the above.

Using the Bobber

To establish your responses with a bobber, start by holding the bobber out in front of you in the midline, and setting it into a neutral or search "bounce" up and down in the vertical plane. (Some folks have an absolutely stationary tip for the search position, but this is hard to maintain if one is walking or moving about).

As with pendulum dowsing, you can then go ahead and get "yes" and "no" responses by moving the bobber to the dominant and no-dominant sides of your body and consciously asking "please show me my signal for yes" and "please show me my signal for no".

"Yes but", "no but" and "wrong question" responses can also be established.

To bob, or not to bob…

The bobber is a somewhat cumbersome tool if one is simply sitting quietly asking questions of ones' dowsing, although it certainly can be used in this way - I prefer a pendulum in such cases - but the bobber comes into its' own if one is out of doors covering the ground looking for features such as water veins, energy lines or archaeological features.

In these cases the bobber can go ahead of one snail-like as an antenna or proboscis, giving one advanced warning of features ahead.

A well-balanced bobber is a very sensitive tool, and some find it a friendly weight and action in the hand. Also they can easily be fashioned at a moments notice from a springy branch or stem giving great versatility to the dowser caught without tools...

Try one and see for yourself if it helps you to go bob, bob, bobbing along!

Now that you know how to use dowsing tools, your ready to look into how geomancers use this ancient tool.

For further dowsing instruction, check out our Geomantic Events page, the American Society of Dowsers, and the British Society of Dowsers.