Local Dowsing Group News No 125



A german explorer in the 1920's


Most of you will have heard of the research of Gustav Freiherr von Pohl in the village of Vilsbiburg, where it was first identified that there was a high degree of overlap between houses with underground water, and the incidence of cancer.


This is sometimes dismissed as a series of one-offs, together with tales of cats addicted to sleeping in bad environments, and dogs providing guidance on good places to nod off.


Maria Sagi cites Von Pohl's work in her interesting work Remote Healing: Nonlocal Information Medicine and the Akashic Field.


The work helped inspire Erich Korbler's researches which led to The New Homeopathy, and the role of dowsing in curative medicine.


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An interesting report from

Wiltshire Dowsers


NEXT FIELD TRIP: Sunday 13th August - Kennet Valley. Visiting various places in the Kennet Valley, Wiltshire, and investigating the St Michael Line.


Meet at 10.30am at the parking area opposite The Sanctuary (on the A4 brow of the hill east of Silbury Hill) SN8 1EY (What Three Words: changes.importers.grades).


The Sanctuary is where the Mary and Michael currents of the St Michael Line meet, the site of a former stone circle and massive timber henge, so it should be interesting to dowse. There are also marvellous views of the landscape to Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow, and the barrow cemetery opposite is also of interest.


There will be some driving (possible car shares) and walking. Mixed terrain, mostly firm and flat. Bring water - and a snack if required. Wear stout shoes and sensible clothing for the weather conditions (sunhats, raincoats etc).


We will finish with refreshments in Marlborough or Avebury. Please advise beforehand if you prefer not to walk far. Contact Alison to register your interest: 07941 712444.


Report on the 2023 Long Weekend: June 22 – 25


The idea to stay in the Salisbury area for our Long Weekend came about after the city was suggested for a day trip. There is so much more to explore in the area despite our previous trips and weekends.


The short journey with the chance for others to come for the day seemed to suit the current mood. As the weekend unfolded, we wandered quite a bit from the original programme by mutual agreement and look forward to returning on day trips to see places we missed – and more.


Early on, those who were camping decided on the Brades Acre campsite at Tilshead (some sites were a bit busy the week after Solstice!). We were pleasantly surprised by the site and facilities and can recommend them.


Most of us arrived on Thursday afternoon and spent time talking, walking and relaxing over the first evening, Friday June 23rd. This day had been designated to visit parts of Amesbury and then to wend our way down to Old Sarum on the backroads. We started at Amesbury Abbey Church, the Parish Church of St Mary and St Melor; the latter’s relics were once said to have been housed in the church, a remnant of which is part of the original Saxon abbey whose grounds, alongside the River Avon, covered the extensive area which is now a private nursing home and contains the Blick Mead site which has excited archaeologists and many others in recent times.


As we entered the church, we found the organist practicing for the forthcoming Sunday and after a chat, he lifted the energies in the building with music as we dowsed.


A modern doorway had meant moving the Saxon font from its original location and the organ, acquired in 1983, was too large to fit in the original organ space.


We found a particularly energetic area in the vicinity of a small chapel on the north side of the Crossing. It was a lovely church. In the churchyard we found lines matching those within the church and the area between two yews near the modern vicarage particularly powerful. Interestingly, the annexe of the modern vicarage had a high spire, apparently instigated by the previous vicar. Just beyond the vicarage and churchyard are the Abbey grounds and we felt that the area within was sacred being protected energetically. I know that some other dowsing groups have recently visited Blick Mead with permission, it would be interesting to find out how they felt inside the grounds.


From the church, we went a short way down the road to the adjoining Vespasian’s Camp, a high and narrow area of land within the Stonehenge landscape which was a hill fort during the Iron Age and must have once held commanding views across the landscape and river. It is known that Romans were in the area but there is no evidence that Vespasian ever went anywhere near the site so the name is misleading! It is open for the public to walk in most areas but in high summer parts are very overgrown with nettles. We ventured to the high point, dowsing where the centre of the hill fort would have been. There was some kind of dew pond in the middle, away from the path.


The energy didn’t seem overly welcoming and we were careful with our permissions before dowsing. They were granted and, as is so often the case, the area started to come alive and the darkness replaced by light as members communicated with the elementals.


Once we had proved we were friendly, the whole area started to sparkle and sunlight came through the branches. It was quite a magical transformation and we spent some time at the spot.


From there we followed the path to the huge drop to the River Avon below and walked through a series of Yew trees which reminded us very much of druids’ Yew groves we had visited in other sacred places. We had not read of one here but given the proximity to Stonehenge and the Abbey it is a foregone conclusion that the area has been sacred to many peoples and generations and we felt it was special.


It would be good to return to the hill at a time of year when it is less overgrown and hopefully catch a view of the rest of the landscape on northern side. We had a quick stop in West Amesbury to look across to the site where the remains of the Bluestone henge circle were uncovered by Mike Parker Pearson and his team of researchers during the Stonehenge Riverside Project.


It marks the point beside the river where the ceremonial avenue from the river to Stonehenge circle began. It is on private land but it is possible to peek at the very beautiful part of the river respectfully without trespassing and it felt very special. It is slightly disappointing that it is now disjointed from the rest of the avenue, though perhaps keeping it sacred and away from mass tourism preserves all that is good about it and it is no bad thing.


By now we were ready for lunch and made our way to the charming café and plant shop at Heale House Gardens, a place I like very much and was pleased to find that the others did too (https://www.healegarden.co.uk/) .


The café has a lovely garden to sit in at the side of the river. We might have one of our lazy outings to the gardens one day – it looks as though dowsing could be interesting. After lunch, the plan was to pop into the church of St Lawrence at Stratford sub-Castle and then go on to Old Sarum. We enjoyed the drive, much of it alongside the River Avon and entered the church grounds to find a group of jolly locals playing croquet!


When I had done the recce for the church a few weeks earlier, it had looked all locked up with metal gates across the doors, which was most unwelcoming, although I had enjoyed the churchyard. The church looked as unwelcoming as before but the players looked surprised and told us that the padlock in pride of place across the ugly metal door was unlocked and that visitors were welcome!


After some time in the church, which is clearly loved by locals, we all agreed that there was little energy or feeling in there and anything there was seemed difficult to lift. It was something of a surprise as this site is a very early Christian site at the foot of the hill leading to Old Sarum and has been used by generations coming from the river to the castle/city and then as the remaining local church.


One thing I found through dowsing was that an area inside the building dedicated to nine soldiers lost from the village in WWI seemed to pull what energy there was. It needs a little healing; I hope that we were able to help.


Outside, in the churchyard was an area we were all drawn to, just as I had been on my previous visit. Very beautiful and calming. I asked to be shown where the original path from river to church had been and my rods took me only a few yards to the area we all liked. Further dowsing showed a wide underground stream leading towards Old Sarum and suggested that a creek might once have come up to the site. The river is not far, it made sense. Perhaps long ago, people came all the way up to the site by boat. We went up to Old Sarum but it was busy with people setting up for a cycling event the next day and decided to visit on our way to Salisbury on Sunday. Instead, we went across to Wilton to see the ruin of St Mary Old Church and cross. The site is in the centre of Wilton beside the market place and beside the old market cross. It was originally the site of a Saxon church. It has had a chequered history and what remains is now in the hands of the Churches Conservation Trust. https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/static/uploaded/5e0b3cda-21bc-469d-b27ff175d6889e2f.pdf.


We found the whole site an area of calm. It seemed a very important asset to the wellbeing of the town. I have read, but cannot remember where, that Wilton House, built by the Earl of Pembroke in 1541 has very interesting energies (it was previously the site of a monastery). Until the ‘new’ city of Salisbury was constructed, Wilton was a very important town. It would be worth map dowsing the whole area.


Saturday June 24th. We were due to meet at Durrington Walls to have a quick look at Woodhenge and Durrington Walls before walking to the Cuckoo Stone and on to the main area of the Stonehenge landscape.


Very much a day to take each stage as it came and to decide as a group what we wanted to do. We walked over to Woodhenge and were debating its possible original purpose when a man who had set up interesting-looking informative signs around the site approached us and offered to give us a short talk. We agreed. His theories were very thought-provoking and we realised after a short while that it was none other than Nigel Peter, who had spoken at one of our group meetings last November! (his November talk https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18E_gKVWj6OFe6zaz6jZ6TwRyrKu33mUl).


At that time, some of us had felt that we would have liked to have followed the theories over a period of time rather than during one session as they all made sense but there was so much information to digest and many questions. He very convincingly demonstrated that the posts at Woodhenge were a map, which, using a matrix of latitude and longitude pointed exactly to places such as Silbury Hill, Stonehenge and the Middle Pyramid.


Was Woodhenge a map? It seemed very plausible. We listened and discussed for so long that the midday sun was creeping up on one of the warmer days of the year and it was time to leave and consider all that had been said. Anyone interested in further information can contact Nigel (megalithicmathematics@gmail.com) - he is always keen to share his ideas. The nearby Cuckoo Stone had been highlighted as one of the ‘mapped’ items and we crossed the fields to look at the stone which stands alone.


According to Nigel’s calculations it has links to the Greater Cursus and Blick Mead thermal spring. Our dowsing led us to energies being drawn in from above by the stone but when some of our more sensitive members stood on the stone with hands raised, the results to those people were stunning. It was agreed that the purpose of the stone was to receive and spread energy at certain times in a certain way when primed, the reasons as yet a mystery but it seems a common theme amongst so many ancient stone placings.


It had been quite a morning. We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the shade and then some of us walked across the area overlooking Stonehenge and looked at the Kings Barrows. It was hot and enough for one day.

We went back to the campsite for a rest and enjoyed a meal out together later.


Sunday June 25th. We were due to meet at Old Sarum so that those coming for the day could see the view across Salisbury and gain an understanding of how the present city was established. As we had not visited on Friday, we started the day here, some going straight for the old castle and others walking round the edge of the site. Old Sarum (right) stands high above other places in the area. It was an Iron Age hill fort with indications of settlement going back to at least 3000BC. It was inhabited by the Romans and Saxons and the Normans built a motte and bailey castle and great cathedral on the site. A royal palace was built within old Sarum for King Henry I. Much political and religious bickering and more practical concerns such as difficulty obtaining enough water, it was decided that a new cathedral would be built on the flat land beside the River Avon. The foundation stone for the future Salisbury cathedral was laid in 1220 and the former cathedral at Old Sarum dissolved in 1226. A new city was built in a grid pattern around the new cathedral and the town of Salisbury was born with Old Sarum almost discarded.


It was a fine day for our visit and the view across to Salisbury was magnificent. There is a known line linking Clearbury Ring (to the south of Salisbury on the Dorset border), Salisbury Cathedral, Old Sarum and Stonehenge, which we were able to locate. There are other alignments to various parts of the country which have been studied by those with a keen interest in dowsing and ley following. Some of our party went into the castle area. The site is now run by English Heritage and there is a charge to enter that part. The rest of us walked around the outer edge of the area, a lovely walk.


We dowsed for the spot where water was collected, we looked for the site of the old Parliament Tree in the field below (this tree stood for years as the spot where locals cast their votes in local elections). Despite Old Sarum being virtually deserted in the 1200s, two members of Parliament were returned right up until 1832! We dowsed the site of the tree as also being on the line. Our favourite spot was the grove of trees on the west side overlooking Stratford sub Castle, beautiful calming energies which drew us in so that we didn’t want to leave.


The outline of the cathedral has been marked out and we found energies faithfully positioned in a very similar way to those found in older churches. It was interesting to be able to go behind the altar area and feel it drawing energy in from above and then distributing it. I also found the line of the underground stream I had found at the church in Stratford sub-Castle running around the bottom of the hill on the west/northwest side.


The plan had been to next visit Salisbury. But it was another hot day and no one much wanted to brave the city. The suggestion was mooted that we return to the tea shop at Heale House Garden. Originally, we had expected to welcome day visitors keen to see Salisbury but as they had been unable to come, we voted for the tea shop and spent much of the afternoon lazing in the lovely garden enjoying varied conversation. It was a pleasant way to finish the weekend.


Some of us went on to camp until Monday morning but the main visits were over. Thank you so much to all who came and helped make it an enjoyable weekend. I loved the way that our plans were so fluid. There is lots left to dowse in Salisbury and surrounding area in the future. NB: The new Amesbury History Centre, next to the Parish Church, is due to open in August. It will house a special permanent display relating to Blick Mead as well as other things of interest. It will be run by volunteers and funding will come mainly from the sale of items in the café and shop, as well as donations, so do make a point of visiting if you are in the vicinity. Alison O. (FYI. There are more photos of the Long Weekend on two posts on our Facebook page. Ed.)



Report on Highworth field trip. 5th July 2023.


Our lazy morning in Highworth started, as usual, with coffee and discussion in a nearby café. The point of the visit was to see St Michael’s church at Highworth after recent refurbishment. We were pleased to welcome some new faces and apologise for the slight mix-up at the start. I had visited the church in the past and found it quite dark with a low energy despite being a much loved parish church.


It was closed completely for a while whilst refurbishment took place. The hearts of many dowsers I know sink when they hear of churches being refurbished! So often the soul of the building is lost. My own feeling as we entered was one of joy. The space had been transformed and lifted, with nothing lost from the moving of the font and pews. The space was light and airy. I had not dowsed the church before so have nothing to compare. However, it seemed that the energy flowed down the centre of the building as one tends to expect and nothing had been lost at any of the prime points, with a Caduceus leading through the chancel and nodes and spirals present on the crossing and before the altar area.


A small chapel for prayer on the east side remained un-furbished and I believe those dowsing there found further spirals. I was reminded that churches in the distant past were said to be community meeting places with various purposes as well as worship and it felt as though this would be the case here. Whilst we were there, a pianist due to perform a concert in the church the following weekend arrived and the space was filled with music which of course raised the energies around the building and was joyous. Those familiar with the town had heard tell of various tunnels under the churchyard. I had to leave but others stayed to dowse, I understand with interesting results. Not everyone shared my opinion. One who had known the church as their parish church all their life and had married there felt it had lost its energy and familiar feel and felt cold and bare. I hope that they will grow to love it. This was shorter than some of our ‘lazy’ trips but interesting all the same. Thank you very much to all who came. Alison O.


Rollright Stones and the Gatekeeper Trust Anniversary weekend – July 22nd 2023. You may remember that we planned to revisit the Rollright Stones, but as some members were due to attend the Gatekeeper Trust event on the same weekend, which included a visit to the Rollright Stones, it was suggested that those interested might try to book a place.


After a morning of talks at a nearby hall, many attendees braved the elements to spent time at the Stones which, unsurprisingly, were remarkably free from crowds. Wiltshire Dowsers have visited in the past couple of years, but today visibility was poor across the fields and the King’s Stone and Whispering Knights seemed sombre, some felt that the fencing placed around them to keep them from visitors created a prison like area for them and that they were screaming to escape.


The actual circle was visibly energised as more people came to it and Peter and Sue performed gentle drumming which visibly moved the emotions and energies of both people and the Stones. There is much to dowse there over and above the Belinus and Elen lines and I am keen to return on a drier day to investigate an east-west line mentioned by a speaker, which did not seem unrelated. The Stones are most definitely worth visiting in the rain, as are many of our other well known stone sites with which you might be more familiar on sunny days - it is a very different experience for the senses. Alison O.



Future Trips This Year. Below is the proposed programme for the remainder of the summer. It would be helpful if you could advise if you are coming once joining instructions have been issued so that we can contact you if there are any changes to plan. Updates will appear on our Facebook page. Most of these trips depend on reasonable weather and we may do something different if heavy rain or a heat-wave is forecast.


Contact Alison 07941 712444 (text or phone). Sunday 13th August – West Kennet (see above for details) Wednesday 6th Sept – Oxford area – St Margaret’s Well, Binsey and Godstow Abbey Sunday 24th September - Seven Barrows/Lambourn/Blowing Stone/ Segsbury Castle (some or all of these). Sunday Oct 1st – many of us will attend the 19th Convention of Archaeology and Earth Mysteries in Pewsey (www.stoneseeker.net).


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Events



British Society of Dowsers

September 23 - 24th


The Conference will be held at County Hall, Worcester, the headquarters of Worcestershire County Council.


It is located next to Worcester Wood Country Park, 93 acres of woodland and open spaces comprising many trails. In addition to the Council chamber, we have use of a number of smaller break-out rooms in the park area, suitable for workshops. Altogether the venue offers a comfortable venue with modern facilities, within a rural setting, but still close to the city centre.


On both days there is a full schedule of talks and workshops, details of which you will find listed below. Refreshments and a pleasant lunch are included in the fee. Not only will you appreciate the full benefits of this in-person event, but you will assist the Society to provide similar events into the future.


However, for those unable to attend, there is an option to watch a live broadcast of part of both days’ proceedings. This is subject to a viewing fee, details of which you will find in the ‘Tickets’ section. On Saturday evening, there is the option to attend a group dinner, starting at 7.00pm, to be held in a separate venue nearer the city centre. For those wishing to attend, this will involve an additional cost. For more info about the speakers, and how to get to the venue, suggestions for accommodation, and how to purchase tickets, please click on the link below. Conference 2023 - The British Society of Dowsers (britishdowsers.org)


More info at


https://britishdowsers.org/conference_2023



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Veda Austin

Water Memory & Transference


Saturday 30th September 2023

11am - 4pm

To be held in the Worship Area, Mint Methodist Church, Fore Street,

Exeter, EX4 3AT


Devon Dowsers are very pleased to announce New Zealand water researcher Veda Austin is returning to Devon to speak about water, transference and potentials.


What’s fascinating is that water also appears to absorb the potential of things. The water designed the potential of the seed as a sunflower. This compliments the ‘phantom transference’ experiment, where scientists dissected a couple of areas of a leaf, and looked at the dissected pieces under a high frequency electromagnetic field. However, they didn’t see the dissected pieces they saw the entire leaf with holes where the leaf was cut. This shows that the memory of the whole was still intact.


Veda’s latest work reveals an incredible new understanding of water from an interwoven study of science, art and consciousness. Sunflower seed placed in water for 30 seconds and removed pre-freezing .Resulting ice pictograph Comparison picture Veda Austin Water



Memory & Transference Booking procedure: 1. Email Prasthano to enquire about availability and reserve your place prasthano.devondowsers@gmail.com 2. Please do not pay until you have been notified that your place is reserved. Once a space has been confirmed, please make your payment of £20 DD Members or £30 non DD members via BACS or by cheque payable to ‘Devon Dowsers’ Cheques to: Treasurer, 19 Crokers Way, Ipplepen TQ12 5QZ BACS: Please give your Surname(s) and ‘VEDA’ as the reference and pay: Account: Devon Dowsers, Sort Code: 30-94-52 Account no: 00158154


REFUNDS: If you find you are unable to attend after payment, there is no automatic refund unless the place can be refilled, though exceptional refunds may be made at the discretion of DD council. Refreshments will be available. Bring your own lunch, or purchase locally in Exeter.


Getting there:The Mint on Fore Street is located on the south side of Exeter City centre well served by public transport (nearest train station is Central) & lots of nearby (but expensive) parking such as at St Mary’s Arches. More of Veda’s work can be seen on her website: www.vedaaustin.com


Interview with Veda Austin - YouTube