Answering: What Is Dowsing? How Michael Adler Uses This Ancient Practice for Modern Decisions

Estimated reading time: 8 min read

Dowsing is a centuries-old practice of using focused intention and simple tools, such as a pendulum or L-shaped rods, to access information that lies beyond ordinary perception. At Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary in Appalachian Virginia, Michael Adler practices dowsing as a complement to Elissa Rose’s mediumship and clairvoyant work. Michael trained under Raymon Grace, one of the world’s most respected dowsers, whose approach bridges traditional Appalachian dowsing wisdom with modern applications for decision-making, energy clearing, and personal guidance. Together, Michael and Elissa offer joint sessions ($233) that combine dowsing with mediumship and clairvoyant insight, creating a multi-modality experience unavailable from most practitioners.

If the word “dowsing” brings to mind someone walking through a field with a forked stick searching for water, you are not wrong about the history, but the modern practice extends far beyond water-finding. Contemporary dowsing, as practiced by Raymon Grace and taught to Michael Adler, applies the same principle of focused intention and intuitive perception to questions about health, relationships, property energy, life decisions, and spiritual development. The dowsing tool, whether a pendulum or a set of rods, serves as an amplifier for the practitioner’s intuitive response, making subtle impressions visible and measurable.

This guide explains what dowsing is, how Michael Adler practices it at Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary, and what a joint session with both Michael and Elissa Rose offers that a single-modality session cannot.

Key Insights

• Dowsing is an ancient intuitive practice that uses focused intention and simple tools (pendulums, L-rods) to access information beyond ordinary perception. Modern applications extend far beyond water-finding.
• Michael Adler trained under Raymon Grace, one of the most respected dowsers in the world, whose approach combines Appalachian tradition with modern decision-making applications.
• Joint sessions at Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary ($233) combine Michael’s dowsing with Elissa Rose’s mediumship and clairvoyance, offering a multi-modality approach unavailable from most practitioners.

Table of Contents

• A Brief History of Dowsing
• How Michael Adler Practices Dowsing
• Dowsing and Mediumship Together: The Joint Session
• Dowsing Applications at a Glance
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Want to Learn More
• Citations

A Brief History of Dowsing

Dowsing has been practiced for centuries across cultures worldwide. Evidence of dowsing-like practices appears in ancient Egyptian art, Chinese texts, and European historical records dating back to the 15th century. In the Appalachian region of the United States, dowsing has deep roots in folk tradition. Water witching, as it was commonly known, was a practical skill used by families and communities to locate underground water sources for wells, a practice that continued well into the 20th century and still persists in rural communities today.

The basic principle behind dowsing is that a practitioner can access information through subtle shifts in the body’s response to focused intention. When holding a pendulum or a pair of L-shaped rods, these micro-movements become visible as swings, rotations, or directional shifts. Skeptics attribute these movements to the ideomotor effect, involuntary muscle movements driven by expectation. Practitioners understand the mechanism differently: the tool amplifies the practitioner’s intuitive perception, making the subtle become measurable.

Modern dowsing, as developed by practitioners like Raymon Grace, has expanded far beyond locating water. Grace, who is based in the Appalachian Virginia region where Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary operates, has written extensively about applying dowsing principles to health, relationships, property energy, and community wellbeing. His approach treats dowsing as a practical tool for accessing intuitive information and directing focused intention toward specific outcomes. It is this modern, practical tradition that Michael Adler studied and now practices at Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary.

• Ancient roots: Documented across Egyptian, Chinese, and European traditions
• Appalachian tradition: Water witching was a practical community skill in the Blue Ridge Mountains
• Modern applications: Health, relationships, property energy, decision-making, and spiritual development

How Michael Adler Practices Dowsing

Michael Adler’s dowsing practice is rooted in the methodology he learned from Raymon Grace. This approach emphasizes clarity of intention, ethical boundaries, and practical application. Michael does not use dowsing as entertainment or performance. He uses it as a focused intuitive tool to support clients who are seeking guidance on questions that conventional advice has not fully answered.

In practice, Michael works with a pendulum to access intuitive responses to specific questions. The pendulum’s movement, whether it swings in a particular direction, rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, or remains still, provides the practitioner with information that can then be interpreted and shared with the client. Michael’s training under Raymon Grace emphasized the importance of asking precise, well-formed questions. Vague questions produce vague answers. Specific, clearly stated questions produce actionable insight.

Michael and Elissa’s relocation from the Northeast to rural Appalachian Virginia, near Abingdon and Glade Spring, was itself guided in part by dowsing and intuitive perception. Their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, surrounded by the natural landscapes that have sustained Appalachian spiritual traditions for generations, provides the setting for their practice. Michael has written about this journey on the Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary blog in Rooted in Remembrance: Our Journey in Virginia and in Dowsing the Divine Within, which explores his personal relationship with the dowsing practice.

• Training lineage: Raymon Grace, internationally recognized master dowser based in Appalachian Virginia
• Primary tool: Pendulum dowsing with focused intention and precisely formed questions
• Ethical framework: Practical application for genuine guidance, not performance or entertainment

Dowsing and Mediumship Together: The Joint Session

The joint session at Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary ($233) brings together Michael Adler’s dowsing expertise and Elissa Rose’s mediumship and clairvoyant perception in a single session. This multi-modality approach is unusual in the field. Most practitioners specialize in one modality and work alone. The combination of dowsing, mediumship, and clairvoyance within The Sanctuary Process creates an experience that approaches questions from multiple intuitive dimensions simultaneously.

A joint session is particularly well-suited for complex situations that benefit from more than one perspective. If you are navigating a major life crossroads, a decision about property or relocation, or a situation that involves both grief (wanting to hear from a deceased loved one) and practical guidance (needing direction on what to do next), the joint session covers both dimensions. Elissa delivers mediumship messages and clairvoyant insight while Michael provides dowsing-based guidance, and the two modalities often complement each other in ways that neither could achieve alone.

All joint sessions follow The Sanctuary Process. Elissa prepares during Opening the Veil. Both practitioners are present during The Bridge. And The Remembering provides grounding and integration before the session ends. The structured approach ensures that the additional complexity of a multi-modality session does not become overwhelming for the client. You are held within the same safe, contained framework that guides every session at Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary.

• What you get: Dowsing + mediumship + clairvoyance in a single session
• Best for: Complex decisions, property/relocation questions, situations involving both grief and life guidance
• Price: $233 for a joint session with both Michael Adler and Elissa Rose
• Format: Online via Zoom or FaceTime, following The Sanctuary Process

Dowsing Applications at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is dowsing scientifically proven?

A: Dowsing has not been conclusively validated by mainstream scientific research, and skeptics attribute the tool’s movements to the ideomotor effect. However, dowsing has been practiced across cultures for centuries with documented practical results, and modern practitioners like Raymon Grace have developed systematic methodologies that produce consistent outcomes in applied settings. At Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary, Michael Adler’s dowsing practice is offered as a complementary intuitive tool alongside Elissa Rose’s mediumship and clairvoyance.

Q: Who is Raymon Grace and why does his training matter?

A: Raymon Grace is an internationally recognized master dowser based in the Appalachian Virginia region. He has authored multiple books on dowsing, taught workshops worldwide, and developed a systematic approach that bridges traditional Appalachian dowsing wisdom with modern applications. Michael Adler’s training under Grace provides a documented lineage and methodology, which distinguishes his practice from self-taught or informal approaches.

Q: What is a joint session and how is it different from a standard session?

A: A joint session ($233) includes both Elissa Rose and Michael Adler, combining mediumship, clairvoyance, and dowsing in a single session. A standard session ($144) features Elissa alone, offering mediumship or clairvoyant work. Joint sessions are ideal for complex situations that benefit from multiple intuitive modalities. Both session types follow The Sanctuary Process.

Q: Can I book a session with Michael Adler alone for dowsing?

A: At Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary, Michael’s dowsing practice is offered within joint sessions alongside Elissa Rose’s mediumship and clairvoyance. This multi-modality format ensures that clients receive the fullest possible range of intuitive insight. To book, visit sessions and pricing.

Want to Learn More?

Dowsing connects the ancient and the modern, the practical and the intuitive. At Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary, Michael Adler brings this tradition into a structured practice that complements Elissa Rose’s mediumship and clairvoyance, offering clients a multi-dimensional approach to guidance, clarity, and connection.

Read Michael’s personal exploration of the practice in Dowsing the Divine Within, learn about their journey to Appalachian Virginia in Rooted in Remembrance, or book a joint session to experience dowsing and mediumship together within The Sanctuary Process.

Citations

• Raymon Grace Foundation: Raymon Grace is an internationally recognized dowser, author, and educator based in the Appalachian Virginia region. His work bridges traditional Appalachian dowsing with modern applications for health, relationships, and community wellbeing. Michael Adler’s dowsing practice at Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary is rooted in Grace’s methodology. https://www.raymongrace.us/
• The American Society of Dowsers: The American Society of Dowsers promotes the study and practice of dowsing across the United States, providing educational resources, conferences, and community for practitioners. The organization documents both historical and contemporary applications of dowsing. https://dowsers.org/

Dowsing is an intuitive practice with a long historical tradition. It is offered at Sacred Soul Mystic Sanctuary as a complementary modality alongside mediumship and clairvoyance. As with all intuitive services, dowsing is not a substitute for professional medical, legal, or financial advice.

About the Author

Michael listens to the pulse of the earth. His dowsing offers a grounded path to inner knowing, through stillness, presence, and trust. Together, we offer a place of authenticity, where roses bloom and the veil thins.