A to Z: "D" is for Divining--an inexplicable thing.

Here I go...not sure I will click "publish", because this post might make me look a nut.  But, have you ever witnessed something you could not explain--no matter how you tried?   And you know when you tell someone about it, they are going to nod and politely smile...while they think what a nutcase. Ha!

Divining.  Dowsing.  I was not a nutcase until I held that cherry branch in my hands.

                                                
I am Thomas.  No, that isn't my name. I mean, I am the doubter, wanting to stick my finger in the hole in Christ's side.

Working in a scientific field, I collect data, and as the evidence mounts, I can start to establish typical behaviors and then extrapolate expectations.  But, I work with living organisms.  As such, example after example has taught me that to deny a possibility, is malarkey and is downright foolish.

Yet...I am the one who wants to tear apart the baby's rattle...

I want to believe.  I want to be amazed and humbled by something that defies any rational explanation.  And, divining did that for me.

It has been a decade now.  The man came to drill our water well.  He looked over our property and broke a "Y" shaped branch, held the top of the "Y" in his two hands and began to walk around. The base of the Y, protruding in front, would dip down.  Then he would move around the area and check for other underground water.

We watched this with fascination.  "Here, ya got some here. Fifty feet down, just a little pisser vein. Not worth going after."  He moved to the western side of the property.  The stick began to dip down, low.  Then, as if possessed, the stick began to spin around between his hands, the base of the Y going round and round.  We realized that he was counting the spins.  "Here.  Ya got a good flow here. Fifteen spins--a hundred fifty feet down.  We drill here."

Well...this was too amazing to let go.  "How does that work?"

He smiled and said, "I can let you try it.  But, women are dead. They can't do it."  He then explained to all of us how you do it.

My daughter broke wild cherry branches off a young tree and made our "Y" shaped divining rods, and the proceeded to look for water.

We were shocked. I recall giggling, and feeling amazement that my stick dipped.  And I really didn't do it. I believe I could have been blindfolded and still told you where we planned to drill, because that is where the stick dipped.  My daughter's did as well.   So much for being "dead".

For the record, we hit a good well at one hundred sixty feet.  I guess the well-driller missed one spin of his dowsing stick.

Clarke's Third Law states that, "Any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."  Is divining possibly an example of  what Clarke referred to?

Where are you at on this?  Believe it or not?