Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-05-14
The OWNING Rod.

and the occult sciences in general.
"What is the theory of the operation
Of the divning rodP'
"Well, in the first movement of the
rod there is evidently an attraction, and
in the second movement, giving the
depth, n repulsion. The attraction is
destroyed or suspended by covering the
end of the rod with wet cloth, II it is
attracted by water, or, If by a mineral,
by holding the same kind i'm the hand or
by binding il to the end of rod. IL
can be analysed into an attractive and
repclling energy, and we must believe
that those who are in sympathy with
this energy possess a higher state of sus-
ceptibility and consciousness than is
possessed by large majority of the
human family. What is discovered by
the diyining rod is one kind of energy,
the person possessing the conscious
power is the other form of energy, and
the rod is the medium between the two;
in other words the sensitive person is
but in sympathy with the subjective
magnetism of the mineral through the
medium of the rod.
"What is this sensitive organization or
power of consciousness"
San intensely acute and susceptible
development of the nervous system, and
of the more delicate mental faculties.
Very few persons have it naturally,
though some may acquire it by means
of meditation, solitude, religious cxer-
else of the mind, and a determined will
to do right The great point is to fully
harmonic 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 il and To acquire it by cultivation
than others. But, however, there are
very few persons who really are en-
dowed 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-
ble."
"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 of in the kabbalah.
which, rs is well known, is of very
ancient date. However, the divining
rod must not be COMPOUNDED with the
magic wand of the Kabbalah. The two
are entirely different. The magic wand
is used for controlling intclligcnces as q
hand " authority. 1t controls this in
telligcncc. Thu,, will intclligcntly n
desire. That desire never dies until it
| is fulfilled, or until it meets counter
desire. In willing this desire the wand
| is used, and is of vast power. The dis
| tinction 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 rodP"
'Thc slender branches of the hazel
tree, or, as it is sometimes called, the
witch hazelwood. There is something
singular about the hazclwood in its
power of transmitting what we call sub
iectivc 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 surpasscs all, however, just rs 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 rodP"
go, there are many ways. One that
Is often referred TO is that of jacques
| Aymar-Vernay, Frenchman, who
lived in the latter part of the seventeenth
century. He was widely known as q
diviner and as one using the divining
rod. He acquired great reputation,
but how far he was really able to use
the rod I can not say. There is story
that he was q mason, but left his trade
and became u great diviner, discover
ing many beds of ore and not few
streams of hidden water. Somewhere
in his neighborhood there was a
| mysterious murder. The criminal
could not be found, though the most
diligent search was made in every
section. At last the aid of this Aymar-
Vcrnay was called in, and he went to
! work, and whether 1t is claimed that he
used any means of divinaton do not
know. AT any rate he found the murder
or, who finally confessed. This whole
affair provoked II great deal OF discus
sion, and great many short tracts or
pamphlets were written about il at the
time. Aymar-Vernay obtained 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.
81 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 q person who has remarkably
well developed the power of conscious
ness necessary to use the divining rod.
So, without his knowledge, we concealed
beneath the carpet in this very room
so gold piece, and then, later on in
the evening, we met in this room and
asked him to find for us the metal. He
took divining rod in his hands and be-
gan walking over the floor. When about
half way across the room the rod moved
outward and downward. He stopped
and said: Here is the metal, and |
know il to be IRON Well, this was not
the place where we had hidden the
gold, and, more than this he had not
named the right metal. So that IL was
not by any means the solution of tho
experiment that we were looking for.
But suddenly the idea flashed upon my
mind that true enough there was metal
there and it was iron. He was right.
He was standing over the steam-pipe
of the heating apparatus in the cellar.
So at once told him that he was cor.
rect, but that there was moro metal
somewhere in the room. He then be-