How to Cut a Divining Rod on Litha

A diving rod is a branch of a tree--typically hazel, apple or willow--with two forks that form a Y off a central branch. In olden days, they were used to search for gold, hunt thieves and murderers and utilized for a number of other quasi-magical functions. People still use them today as a means of dowsing (searching for underground water), though their abilities are often more folklore than fact. As the celebration of summer, Litha makes an excellent time to cut a divining rod, either out of wood or out of appropriate metal wiring.

Things You'll Need

• Hazel, apple or willow tree
• Wood clippers or cutting knife
• Fence wire or coat hanger
• Doweling or cotton cloth

Instructions

Create a Divining Rod out of Wood

1. Locate a healthy tree from which you can safely and legally cut a branch or two on Litha. Ideally, it should be hazel, willow or apple, which are the traditional woods to make a divining rod. However, all that is necessary is that the tree be alive and healthy, regardless of what type it is.

2. Locate a forked branch on the tree, where one branch splits into two. It should be small enough to easily grip in your hands.

3. Cut the branch carefully from the surrounding wood. You may want to intone any Wiccan incantations of Litha spells as you do it, or simply thank the tree for its generosity.

4. Remove any smaller branches, leaves or twigs from the piece that you have cut. The resulting wood should form an even Y, with no other outgrowths upon it. Each fork of the Y should be about the same length.

5. Perform a blessing or similar rite before you use the rod, as an acknowledgment of Litha.

6. Grasp one fork of the Y in each hand and hold the stick outward, with your palms up and the divining rod away from your body.

7. Walk slowly and carefully over the land you intend to search, thinking exclusively about water (or whichever element you hope to find).

8. Prepare for the divining rod to suddenly swing down towards the ground or up towards the sky. You can find the element you're searching for at that precise spot.

Craft a Metal Divining Rod

1. Take a 20-inch length of fence wiring or a coat hanger with the hook end cut off.

2. Bend the wire into an "L" shape, with 4 to 6 inches on one end (enough to grip).

3. Wrap the short end in doweling or cotton reels to form handles.

4. Cap the long end with tape or some similar cover. (The ends of the metal can be pointed and dangerous.)

5. Repeat the process with a second wire or coat hanger.

6. Bless the divining rod as a means to honor Litha.

7. Hold one divining rod in each hand and move forward over the land you want to search. Keep the rods pointed more or less parallel to the ground, with a firm but loose grip. You want to allow them to swing freely if they detect something. Think about the element you are searching for as you walk.

8. Wait until the divining rods swing downward or upward suddenly. That marks the spot where the element in question can be found.

Tips & Warnings

• Like anything else, dowsing takes practice. Though you may want to use it exclusively for Litha as a means of participating in the significance of the day, most dowsers recommend devoting time to it in order to get the feel for the method and discern "false signals" from "true" ones.