There are many varieties of dowsing, but in general a practitioner uses pendulums or twigs from trees to find the hidden targets. Another popular and more modern practice is the use of metal rods.
The methods are simple: usually the dowsing equipment is held loosely by hand and pointed downwards. The belief is that the twig or rod or pendulum moves seemingly on its own when above the target.
History is silent on when the practice first came into existence, but the earliest known references are allegedly from 16th century Germany. The religious reformer Martin Luther included in his writings a condemnation of the practice as being a contradiction of the Ten Commandment’s first rule of not practicing occult activities. More Strange News