Dowsing, sometimes referred to as divining, is an ancient, mysterious art, which can be used to find almost anything, or to answer questions.
Cave paintings in Africa which could be up to 8,000 years old, are thought to show dowsing or divining for water.
Divining rods are known to have been used by the Persians, Egyptians, Babylonians and Chinese, amongst others.
Dowsers mostly use either rods or a pendulum, although some still use a forked stick, usually hazel wood.
The Old Testament of the Bible alludes to dowsing, relating how Moses and his son Aaron used 'a rod' to locate and bring forth water.
The oracle of Delphi is thought to have used a pendulum to answer questions posed by her clients, who included kings, queens, nobility and military commanders.
In the middle ages, the rod was used in many parts of Europe to discover water, precious minerals and ore deposits.
In the First World War Gallipoli campaign, dowsing was used to find water sources for British and Commonwealth troops.
It was also practised in the Vietnam war to find underground tunnels and caches of weapons.
Nobody really knows how it works, but with training, patience,and regular practice, most people can dowse. As in everything, some are better than others. But nearly everyone can learn to do the basics.
You can make your own dowsing rods using an old metal coat hanger.
You can find underground water.
You can find out how far underground the water is, and which way it is flowing.
You can find archaeological remains underground where no trace remains above ground.
You can find out what sort of building it was, how many floors, where the doors and windows were.
You can find lost items - keys, earrings etc.
You can find early warning signs of disease in humans and animals.
You can find out which natural supplements might enhance your health (although you should always consult a medical professional over health matters).
You can find harmful energies in buildings.
Some people are able to find stolen property by dowsing over a map. (This is hard and takes a lot of practice, but it has been done successfully).
You might be able to find buried treasure - although a metal detector would probably be better.
You might be able to find the nearest pub - although Google would probably be better.
You can NOT find out next week's lottery numbers, nor tomorrow's racing results, nor whether England will ever win the World Cup again.
But you CAN join Cheltenham Dowsers, your local dowsing group, make new friends, and learn and develop these skills yourself.