IF you'd like to learn more about the ancient art of dowsing – and even try your hand at it yourself – take yourself along to the British Society of Dowser's annual conference at Cirencester in Gloucestershire next week.

As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations this year, the society has included a Dowsing Fair at the event at the Royal Agricultural College on the weekend of September 26-28.

Director of the Malvern-based society John Moss, who lives near Mitcheldean in the Forest of Dean, said that hitherto the conference had been open only to BSD members.

"Part of my remit as director is to raise the profile of dowsing so that more people know about it," he said. "We thought it would be a good plan to open part of the weekend to the general public.

"On the Saturday afternoon, people can come in and look at all the different types of dowsing and maybe have a go at one or two of them."

Dowsing today, of course, is about much more than just locating underground water sources. "I always tell people it's about finding out about things, so it's as broad as that," said John. "People look for archaeological remains under the ground, for healthy ways of eating, or energies around ancient sites such as stone circles or churches.

"In a way, if you can think of a question, you can dowse for the answer."

Perhaps it is the many applications of dowsing nowadays that accounts for the growing interest in it. Some might think that the more esoteric and psychic aspects of dowsing are new, but the BSD has been open to such alternative thinking from the start back in 1933.

The theme of the conference this year is "Sticks and Stones", referring to dowsing rods and the interest in megalithic sites.

An impressive line-up of speakers includes the parapsychologist Dr Serena Roney-Dougal, of Glastonbury, archaeologist Professor Timothy Darvill, agriculturalist Dr Clive Beale, author Hamish Miller and film-maker Michael Bott. Visit the BSD website at www.britishdowsers.org