Basically stated, a dowser uses a range of simple devices to emphasise small involuntary movements in the hand so they may be readily seen. The most simple and versatile device for this purpose is the pendulum - a small weight tied to a piece of string and allowed to 'swing' suspended between the thumb and first finger of the dominant hand. Any tiny shifts in the hand itself will naturally be reflected as obvious movements in the weight on the end of the line. This 'amplification' of small movements so that we may see them, is the only purpose of any divining tool as far as dowsing itself is concerned. It is very important to understand this, for it means that the material from which the different tools are made is irrelevant as far as the dowsing principle itself is concerned.
Pendulum dowsing is an excellent way of speaking directly with our intuition.
And the skill itself is so practical and powerful simply because our intuition is such an immensely powerful faculty. To have any chance of understanding dowsing then, we must take a closer look at our intuitive faculty. The first thing to be said of intuition, is that it resides within our subconscious mind. This is the part of the mind which constantly monitors and processes the myriad of different stimuli and impressions reaching us every moment of our lives. Your subconscious mind takes care of all these matters automatically and seated comfortably within it is your highly developed intuitive faculty.