Recently, we came across this image and were completely stumped. What in the world could it be?
The image circulated around the All Cute offices while we considered all of the different uses for what seemed like a very regular tree branch.

After a day of wondering what in the world it could be used for, we were finally given the answer! This branch was used for a practice stemming back all the way to the 1500s. The practice was called “Water Dowsing.”

If you aren’t familiar with the term Water Dowsing or the dowsing tool itself, perhaps you know it by one of its other names: a diviner, doodlebug, well witch, or water-finder. This tool, if you haven’t guessed by now, is used to find water. Of course, this is more of an old wives’ tale but, nevertheless, it was a common practice years ago.

The Y-shaped branch was used by an individual who would hold one branch of the stick in each hand with their palms facing upward. The stem of the “Y” (aka the bottom of the branch), then is tilted toward the Earth at a 45-degree angle. Once the tool is in position, the individual walks back and forth.