Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-20
The Divinrng Rod.

md the occult sciences In general.
What is the theory of the operation
otthe divining rod?"
well. in the first movement Of the
nd there is evidently an attraction. and
~ The second movement, giving the
d%.nth, a repulsion. The attraction is
%Jstttroyed or suspended by covering the
snd of the rod with a wet cloth, if 1t is
.ttracted by water. or, if by a mineral.
nv holding the same kind in the hand or
~ binding it to the end of a rod. II
1aan be analyzed into an attractive and
r%enelling energy, and we must believe
nat those who are in sympathy with
This energy possess a higher state Of sus-
oossessed by a large majority of the
buman family. What is discovered by
The divining rod is n kind of energy.
the person possessing the conscious
mower is the other form of energy, and
The rod is the medium between the two:
IN other words, the sensitive person is
Int in sympathy with the subjective
magnetism of the mineral through the
medium of the rod"
"What is this sensitive organization or
of consciousness"
..An intensely acute and susceptible
Development of the nervous system, and
of the nor delicate mental faculties.
Very few persons have it naturally,
though some may acquire it by means
of meditation, solitude, religious exer-
else of the mind, and a determined will
to do right. The great point is to fully
harmonize the emotional faculties. This
consciousness may exist in the male sex
and also in the female. Even children
have been known to have it. Religious
and pious persons are more likely to
have it and to acquire it by cultivation
than others. But, however, there are
very few persons who really are en-
lowed with this consciousness"
''Does the devil have anything to do
With this unseen agencyP"
mo, indeed, not at all. There used
to to be an old superstition that the
evil one had the power of granting the
ability to use the rod. But that IS all
an error. 1t probably arose from the
legends that he and his proselytes had
all the mines and ore-beds, which were
alleged to be in his kingdom. If he had
anything to do with it, religious persons,
YOU may be sure would not be suscepti-
bic"
"How long has this divining rod been
knownp
'Modern history locates the first
knowledge of it in the eleventh century,
but in reality it was known long before
that. 1t was known ofin the Kabbalah,
which, as is we'll known, is of very
ancient date. However, the divining
rod must not be c%onfounded with the
magic wand of the Kabbalah. The two
are entirely different. The magic wand
is used for controlling intelligences as a
hand of authority. It controls this in
telligence. Thus, I will intelligently a
desire. That desire never dies until it
is fulfilled, or until it meets q counter
desire. In willing this desire the wand
is used, and is of vast power. The dis
unction between the diving rod and the
wand is that the former controls ener-
gIes or physical substances, while the
latter rules over intelligence or spirits"
"What makes the best kind of rod?"
THE slender branches of the hazel
tree, or, as it is sometimes called, the
witch hazelwood. There is something
singular about the hazelwood in its
power of transmitting what we call sub
%jective energy. 1t has this power more
than any other wood. The oak is the
next best, though in other countries,
notably in Europe, the wood of the
rowan tree is greatly used. The hazel
tree surpasses all, however, just as GER
tain metals are better than others as
conductors of electricity, copper, for
instance, being one of the best. So is
the wood of the hazel tree the best to
convey subjective energy"
''What notable instances are there in
history of the use of the rod?"
20, there are many ways. One that
is often referred to is that of Jacques
Aymar-Vernay, a Frenchman, who
livedin the latter part of the seventeenth
century. He was widely known as a
diviner and as one using the divining
rod. He acquired a great reputation,
but how far he was really able to use
the rod [ can not say. There is a story
that he was a mason. but left his trade
and became a great diviner, discover
ing many beds of ore and not a few
streams of hidden water. Somewhere
in his neighborhood there was .
mysterious murder. The criminal
Soulu nOt De lOunu, knouSH Vic uAOS0
diligent search was made in every
section. At lastthe aid of this Aymar-
Vernay was called in, and he went to
work, and whether it is claimed that he
used any means of divination l do not
know. At any rate he found the murder
er: who finally confessed. This whole
affair provoked a great deal of discus
sion, and a great many short tracts or
pamphlets were written about it at the
time. Aymar-Vernay obtained a great
deal of notoriety, and the story OF his
ability to use the divining rod has been
recorded in French history as being un-
questionably true.
Il know of instances myself of
the successful use of the divining rod.
can give you one which occurred with
in the last two and a half years.
'Mr Charles Latimer, who is . per-
sonal friend of mine, was in Philadel-
phia and CHANGED to be at my house.
..He is a person who has remarkably
well developed the power Of conscious
ness necessary to use the divinfng rod:
s O. without hic knou1a0uo we concealed