Dowsing is a natural skill. It is seen by many (if not most) people in terms of its utility, for what can be discovered using it. This utilitarian view, although widespread, is not the key element of dowsing. Yet this view has so dominated thinking about, or attitudes towards, this subject that the central aspect of dowsing, the very essence of dowsing, has been overlooked.

This book seeks to redress this imbalance by showing that dowsing is not about the results but about the apprehension of them: that brief moment when the dowser realizes he or she has an answer to a question. In other words, the most important part of dowsing is what goes on inside the dowser. It is personal and, therefore, unique.

This position is justified through examining scientific attitudes towards dowsing, as well as looking at what dowsers themselves have to say. In the course of this examination, various other areas, germane to dowsing, are explored, such as the role of language, the religious paradigm and the changing role of dowsing in society. To date, no similar work has been published in that this book does not attempt to teach dowsing, nor does it seek to propose a dowsing methodology. Instead it actively questions some aspects of dowsing which have not previously been subject to such scrutiny. At the same time, it offers a way of integrating the ideas which are developed into whatever pre-existing dowsing methodology is used.

There are many books on how to dowse, what to dowse for or how dowsing works. There are virtually none which look at the subject and examine it in a more philosophical way. The author encourages dowsers to examine this natural skill in a more dispassionate fashion and thereby help dowsing to become seamlessly integrated into society now as it was in the past.

Self-discovery becomes a delight as Sabian Symbols in Card Reading enables you to read the cards immediately. The book is written as a reference text and allows you to find the meanings for the cards in your very first attempt. Written in a friendly and giving style you find yourself relating to the cards quickly and most significantly as the book takes you step by step through the process. Life becomes an adventure as you learn to play this "game of life." You will be amazed at the guidance that is available to you through the cards, and the contact with your higher self.

This volume includes:

• An in-depth description of all seven levels of meaning, plus keywords, for each of the fifty-two cards
  
• Explanation of how divination is made possible
  
• Detailed, step-by-step instructions for laying out the cards
  
• Instructions for shuffling and achieving the "set" that will insure your layout will have valid meaning
  
• Explanation of the "accident" that may occur as in the dropped card, etc.
  
• How to find the individual keynote in a layout
  
• How to confirm that your cards are ready to speak
  
• How to record your insights and maintain your work
  
• Sample form for recording your layouts
  
• Descriptive illustrations of all facets of the layout
  

This book is a product of cooperation between a parapsychologist (trained in natural sciences) and a linguist/historian. It traces the connection of ancient oracles with religion and describes in detail practices which were used there, and on the background of general cultural atmosphere of those times. On examples from preserved ancient texts the social importance of oracles is described and comparison is made with interests of modern people who consult psychics. Interestingly, concerns of ancient people were identical with those of average people today: Health, prosperity, love, and questions of religion. Intellectual atmosphere of crucial ancient periods (e.g., at the beginning of Christianity) is compared with the contemporary situation, and advice is given from this comparison - including discussion of "New Age" groups, and questions related to inter-human relationships and ecology. The role of psychic phenomena in world religions is described objectively, not from the point of view of any particular religion. Legends about the "trips to the underworld" show ancient interest in the question of post-mortem survival. Linguistic analysis, description of selected experiments, as well as quotations from ancient mystics help uncover the history of early Christianity, and also offer some new answers concerning religious experiences. The book is written in a down-to-earth style of popular science , not in the style of occult or religious literature. The book will be interesting for historians, philosophers, psychologists, journalists, educators, members of non-dogmatic religious groups, and students of mysticism and early Christianity.