Dowsing is a type of divination that is claimed to be able to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites,Kenney, Andrew. The Herald (Johnson County, North Carolina); “Grave Hunters.” http://www.theherald-nc.com/front/story/10836.html; 29 July 2009, page 1. Article also reproduced as a source document at WeRelate. and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called “currents of earth radiation”, without the use of scientific apparatus. Dowsing is also known as divining (especially in reference to interpretation of results),Discovering Dowsing and Divining, p. 5, Peter Naylor doodlebugging (in the US), or (when searching specifically for water) water finding orwater witching.

A Y- or L-shaped twig or rod, called a dowsing rod, divining rod (Latin: virgula divina orbaculus divinatorius) or witching rod is sometimes used during dowsing, although some dowsers use other equipment or no equipment at all.