Dowsing -what does it mean?

Top Talk

Mention the word ‘dowsing’ and most people will assume you mean looking for hidden water with two sticks or rods. “That is exactly what attracted me to it” laughs John Flavell M Sc. “I was an academic, a computer scientist and the Vice Principal of a College and then one hot summer the spring that feeds our cottage dried up. We had a geologist come out to see if he could find a well or a new source of water for us. He walked over the field with two brass ‘L’ rods and they kept crossing in certain spots. As a scientist, I was very sceptical so he invited me to try it myself. It worked for me too and I was immediately ‘hooked’.”
“I went on a few courses and found I was actually quite good at it so went on to become a registered tutor for the British Society of Dowsers.”

John’s own dowsing courses are very popular. “It is something most people can do, all you need is an open mind” he explains “and you can dowse for all sorts of things including health and wellbeing. Although no one really knows how it works, I think it’s very much a case of tapping into a natural energy field. You can’t do it for someone, they do it for themselves. It’s all about personal responsibility and harnessing your own power.”

John’s experience with dowsing led him to investigate other avenues and (with a little nudge from wife Beth), he qualified as a hypnotherapist and also teaches NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and TPM (Thought Pattern Management). He is quick to tell me, “I’m not keen on the titles of these disciplines, I just see it as common sense. We should want to take responsibility for our behaviour and lifestyles.”

He makes reference to environmental issues. “We know there is a serious problem but there is still more talk than action. We need to work in harmony – with Nature and each other. See Nature as a friend not just a provider to take advantage of.”

“I often play Bach to my plants. I read about a wonderful experiment that showed plants prefer classical music to hard rock. They actually grew away from the speakers that played the rock and toward the ones playing classical music. Plants know what they need to be the best they can be – we can learn a lot from them.”

Learn to Dowse

John taught me to dowse last year and I have been a huge fan ever since. The results speak for themselves, for even the most sceptical. Merging my own passion for Nature and John’s expertise we have put together a day’s course on Dowsing in the Garden. Held in the beautiful Brecon Beacons the courses are friendly and informal. As well as learning about the basic tools and ethics for dowsing, we will show you how to work with Nature and get to most out of your space; how to energise and increase the fertility of the soil; how to deal with pests and disease naturally; holistic design and even how to improve your own energy levels and motivation.
For more details contact me at or John at jflavell@xifos.co.uk or visit http://www.lynneallbutt.co.uk/ or http://www.johnflavell.co.uk/

Did You Know?

Last week was Compost Aware Week when public and business communities were encouraged to get composting. I’m all for raising awareness but remember to compost for life not just a week!

Happy Anniversary

The British Society of Dowsers celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and is the leading organisation in the UK for dowsers. To find out more about this fascinating discipline, buy products or become a member, visit http://www.britishdowsers.org/ or telephone 01684 576969. You can also visit the National Dowsing Centre in Malvern but do call to check opening times.