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A Little-Used Method Abbe de Vallemont, La Physique Occulte. Author's Collection |
Rhabdomancy may be an unfamiliar word. But it is an ancient practice. The
prophet Hosea said “my people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff
declareth unto them.” (Hosea 4:12) Psalms 25:3 tells us “the Lord will not let
the rod of the wicked rest upon the lot of the righteous.” These verses can
interpreted as referring to rhabdomancy – the art of divining with sticks.
Moses, as a means of knowing where the leader of his people would come from,
inscribed twelve rods, each with the name of one of the tribes, and put them in
the Tabernacle of Witness.
The
wand is an important part of magic and occultism. Moses was a great magician –
instructed in all the sciences and secrets of the Egyptians. When he performed
his miracles, he had his rod. Staffs and rods accompanied the prophets, a
king’s scepter is an emblem of power, a bishop has his staff, and every
the magician has his wand. Rhabdomancy
may be said to be part of every occult operation. Duncan-Enzmann’s history of
astronomy traces these devices back to ancient astronomers who used a stick’s
shadow to determine north and create the first sundials. Ashera poles were used
to measure the movement of the stars, and with them the Vanir mariners divided
time and calculated longitude ca 5000 BC. The rod has a long and prestigious
history of working magic for those who knew how to use them.
In the
sixteenth century rhabdomancy was practiced mainly in Germany, where it enjoyed
considerable popularity. Even now it is so, and to some extent blessed by
science. By the seventeenth century the term referred to a method of looking
for metal deposits or underground springs. This process became a common and
important part of any normal mining operation. By the end of that century its
powers were acclaimed in France – writers and philosophers discussed the art
and its mysteries. Soon the rod was used for tracking down robbers and
murderers.
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Explanation of the Divining-Rod Abbe de Vallemont, La Physicque Occulte Author's Collection |
A
great debate developed over whether or not there was demonic influence in the
working of the rod. Scientific theories were offered to counter this idea;
explanations as to why a piece of any kind of wood could be influenced by any
number of materials, or even by something not physical at all. Some suggested
radioactivity or corpuscles as the reason for such odd attraction; corpuscles
that would rise above springs of water, or in exhalations of minerals. Even
those rising over the footsteps of fugitive criminals would cause the divining
rod to turn. A century later, at the Munich Academy, the power of the rod was
attributed to a phenomenon analogous to galvanism (the induction of electrical current from a chemical
reaction).
Soon
other tools were experimented with. Tyorlean Campetti was the first to replace
the rod with pyrite fragments suspended by a thread, creating a little pendulum
similar to a plumb-bob. This is still employed. The action of the divining rod
has now entered the domain of science, yet it is still not clearly understood.
Psychologists have investigated it, and de Givery himself writes that he had
the rod twist in his own hands. It still holds some mystery though it has lost
its marvel. Sorcerers are numerous, and rather than calling an engineer to dig
a well, country folk will use the services of a good wizard and his rod, to
assure success at the least possible cost.
Today
we know these magic wands as dowsing rods, witching rods, or divining rods – sometimes
even a pendulum is used. They are commonly used in the search for ley lines. Doodlebugging
the search for petroleum, or specifically for water. Dowsing rods are popular
among adherents to radionics (using substances like hair or blood to heal from afar),
and disciples of Charles Fort. How these wondrous tools work is not known, even
by those very experienced in their use. Einstein was convinced they do, saying
that the rod shows a reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors
which are unknown. So, believer or skeptic, these magic wands have an ancient
and prominent history.
About Symbologist Michelle Snyder
Symbology ReVision: Unlocking Secret Knowledge
Symbology: Hidden in Plain Sight
Symbology: My Art and Symbols
Symbology: Fairy Tales Uncovered
Symbology: Decoding Classic Images
Symbology: World of Symbols
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