water witch
Underground stream finder
A water witch is a person who claims to locate underground water using a divining rod or similar instrument—also called a dowser.
The practice involves walking over land while holding a forked stick or bent rods, which supposedly move when passing over hidden water sources.
Water witch also names several aquatic birds, including grebes and the American coot.
As a verb, to water-witch is to practice dowsing: They water-witched the whole property before drilling the well.
Forked branch for finding water
- dowserOne who locates underground water
- forked stickStick with two prongs
- pendulumSuspended swinging weight
- witching stickForked branch for finding water
Female water spirit
Traditional rural magic workers
- folk magicTraditional supernatural practices
- rural traditionCountryside cultural practice
- wise womanFemale with profound understanding
- folk healerTraditional community medicine practitioner
Drab aquatic rail relative
- waterbirdAvian that frequents lakes
- railHorizontal support bar
- wading birdFowl of shallow waters
divining rod
Forked branch for finding water
- dowserOne who locates underground water
- forked stickStick with two prongs
- pendulumSuspended swinging weight
undine
Female water spirit
cunning folk
Traditional rural magic workers
- folk magicTraditional supernatural practices
- rural traditionCountryside cultural practice
- wise womanFemale with profound understanding
folk healer · weather magic · sacred spring · holy well · wishing well
mudhen
Drab aquatic rail relative
- waterbirdAvian that frequents lakes
- railHorizontal support bar
- wading birdFowl of shallow waters
- witchesenchantress, crone, hag, sorceress, bruja
- Dowsingdowser, divining rod, dowsing rod, diviner, forked stick
- folk healersfolk healer, healer, herbalist, herb doctor, wise woman
- psychicspsychic, psychics, fortune teller, clairvoyant, clairvoyants
- Southern folklorehaint, conjure, root work, root doctor, root doctors
water witchhydrogeologist
Underground water specialist
geologist · hydrologist · geophysicist · seismologist · surveyor
water witchscientist
One who studies nature
empiricist · skeptic · geologist · geoscientist · rationalist
water, witch, waters, watered, watering, watery, waterless, waterway, waterfall