Everyone has the ability to dowse. Dowsing is essentially the art of asking a 'yes/no' question and using the movement of a dowsing device - usually a pendulum or rod - to divine the answer.

It is a simple process that connects the rational, intellectual part of ourselves with the intuitive, wise part. It is like a doorway between the mind and spirit, using the body as a threshold. The more respect we bring to our dowsing, the more reliable and effective it will be.

A genuine need to know is a key factor for dowsing to work well. You ask a clear and unambiguous question in your mind, to which the answer can only be 'yes' or 'no'. The second important step is then being able to let go of the question and any emotional attachment to the answer one way or the other, and waiting with a 'detached curiosity', or an open mind, for the answer to come back from your innerself.

The most familiar tools that are used in dowsing are the pendulum and L-rods, although other devices such as Y-rods and 'bobbers' are also used. The movement of the dowsing tool occurs involuntarily, in the same way as a yawn or a laugh, without your needing to make it happen. but before dowsing can start, you need to establish your personal basic dowsing responses.

Before you begin, you need to establish the pendulum motions that will mean 'yes' and 'no' for you, as these vary from person to person. Sit in a relaxed, upright position and hold your pendulum in a central position just above the height of your knees. Start swinging it in a to-and-fro motion towards and away from you.

This is the neutral position and indicates you are ready to start. Now move your hand over your dominant-side knee (right for right-handers, left for left-handers). State clearly to yourself the following words: Please show me my 'yes ' response. Notice what the pendulum does; it may swing in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, or from side to side, or even diagonally. Whatever it does, this is your signal for 'yes'.

Take the pendulum back to the neutral position and move your hand to the other knee. Repeat the procedure, this time asking for your 'no' response. It should be something clearly different to 'yes' and will be your signal for 'no'. Do repeat the exercise several times to become confident and familiar with your response. After a short period of time, your chosen response will become automatic and spontaneous and you will be able to dowse with confidence.

There are an infinite number of possible situation in which you can use dowsing, but using it as a tool for information and guidance around your health is one of its most valuable uses and also one of the best ways to build up experience and confidence. You can experiment with lists of herbs, vitamins, massage oils, Bach flower remedies or forms of treatment with which you have become familiar, so that you can dowse along the list, picking out a thing to try in a particular case.

You can also dowse for someone else but you should always get their permission first. Unless you are very experienced and able to hold them in your mind whilst you dowse, it is a good idea to obtain something from them, such as a lock of hair of a ring, to help 'link' you to them while you investigate.

If they are present, you can ask questions while swinging the pendulum over their hands, or you might feel more confident if they supply the sample and allow you to work on their problem by yourself. Always be sure that your dealing with an ailment you can handle, and if either of you are in any doubt, seek medical advice.

As well as its nutritional properties, our food carries the 'life-force' or vital essence. This is most intensely present when the food is at its freshest and diminishes over time. Food that high life-force tastes better and gives us more nourishment; we may find that we need to eat less of it. You can dowse over your food to assess it vitality, using a scale of 0-10, with 0 being absence of life-force and 10 being the optimum.

As you dowse over the food, ask questions such as 'is the vitality of this (say what it is) higher than 5? Higher than 8? Does it have a vitality of 10? and son to assess the score. You will find that freshly picked fruit and vegetables have the highest score, while packaged foods and ready-meal will be at the lower end of the scale.

This article if from How to make White Magic and the consultant editor is Raje Airey, published by Select Editions. The ISBN number is 1-84477-561-5. Visit their website for more details at www.southwaterbooks.com