Hi D.M. and thanks for sharing your knowledge. I first learned to dowse about 30 years ago- It was part of a book I studied on self hypnosis- was amazed then and still am.
One thing I've discovered about dowsing- even if we ask for the Highest Guidance - if we have an answer already formed within by our feelings or mind this can and often will infulence the pendulum or dowsing rods. There's a simple method I use to circumvent any pre-decisions. I simply say over and over " I wonder what the answer is - after doing the clearing of any vibes in the pendulum and askng my H.S. for an answer.
I've had a couple of weird occurences - one example. My birth father has had a lot of heart problems. I phoned for a week with no answer and had assumed he'd passed on, because no one was at his home, not even his wife. I assumed she was staying with relatives for they never go anywhere. I decided to "dowse" and my assumptions affected my dowsing and in answer to my question if he had passed on I got an affirmative answer. Imagine my surprise when he phoned the next night telling me he'd been in the hospital with a bad heart attack. Since that time I have used the method above.
Mostly now I dowse for foods, supplements, herbs and combinations of these tho I do occasionally dowse articles and channelllings- whether it's for my Highest Good to read them (saves me even looking at them) and also if it is for the Highest Good of all to share. I get many surprises in both categories.
Many years ago I watched a friend "witch" for water - in those days I really believe very little about anything like this and scoffed at much esp, and anything spiritual or such. When I made fun of what he was doing, he said "here you try it". He showed me how to hold the "forked stick" and sent me off in a direction to go in. I walked slowly laughing at this, and suddenly the stick pointed straight down and I couldn't stop it. He laughed and said "yes, your are right over the old well, which has been covered over, and had sod growing over the covering. Was a great change in my life in that moment. Namaste Hugs David