The BSD Conference 2023
About the Conference
The Conference will be held at Shires Farm, Worcester.
The venue is just over 4 miles from Junction 6 of the M5. The nearest train station is Worcester Foregate Street.
The venue offers a comfortable venue with modern facilities, within a rural setting, but still close to the city centre.
The event will be held over the weekend of Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September.
On both days there is a full schedule of mixed talks and workshops, full details of which you will find listed below. Refreshments and a pleasant lunch are included in the attendance fee.
We strongly encourage you to attend the event. Then, not only will you appreciate the full benefits of this in-person event, but you will assist the Society provide similar events into the future.
However, for those unable to attend, there is an option to watch a live broadcast of part of both days’ proceedings. This is subject to a viewing fee, details of which you will find in the ‘Tickets’ section below.
On Saturday evening, there is the option to attend a group dinner, starting at 7.00pm, to be held in a separate venue nearer the city centre. For those wishing to attend, this will involve an additional cost.
For more information about the speakers, and how to get to the venue, suggestions for accommodation and how to purchase tickets, please see below.
Programme of events
Saturday 23rd September
9.00am Registration begins
9.45am Welcome by BSD President Richard Fry
10.00am Elizabeth Brown – Happy 90th: We’ve Come a Long Way Baby!
11.00am Refreshments
11.30am Christian Kyriacou – The Epigenetic Consciousness Matrix of Buildings – Genetic Architecture®
12.30pm Lunch
1.30pm Workshop 1: Joan Harthan – dowsing your dreams or Peter Taylor – Using Fibonacci Numbers to identify Power Points in the land to help heal the human body
2.30pm Short break to allow time to change between workshops (15mins)
2.45pm Workshop 2: Sue Pine – Making the Most of your Ch’I or John Baker– helping practical dowsers improve their success rate Q&A
3.45pm Refreshments
4.15pm Jonathon Mitchell – The science of magnetism (and how it relates to dowsing)
5.15pm President Richard Fry to close
Sunday 24th September
9.00am Registration (welcome to arrive from 8.45am)
9.15am Workshop 1
10.15am Short break
10.30am Workshop 2
11.30am Refreshments
12.00pm Workshop 3
1.00pm Lunch followed by book signing
2.00pm Trish Mills – Sacred Geometry made simple
3.00pm Short break to allow for change of speaker
3.15pm Elizabeth Brown – Nutrition: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly — and the Downright Dangerous
4.15pm Refreshments
4.30pm Cake for 90th birthday celebration
Nick Haywood – When you put the idea into people’s head that anything goes, it does! Curious incidents from 90 years
Below you will find more information about each participant’s talk and workshop, together with a short biography.
John Baker
WORKSHOP: Helping practical dowsers improve their success rate – a Question & Answer session
John will field your questions on practical dowsing.
BIOGRAPHY
A stalwart of the British Society of Dowsers for many years, John discovered the ability to dowse in 1993, quite by chance and embarked on a great new adventure initially working with local archaeologists as I needed proof that that what I was ‘picking up’, did in fact exist and was not the result of feverish imagination. It wasn’t!! He then progressed to water divining, which he has practiced for over 20 years.
He has been involved in T.V. programme and has authored an autobiography, ‘Adventures of a 21st. He runs regular dowsing courses and runs the London Dowsers group
www.johnh2obaker.co.uk
Elizabeth Brown
TALK: Happy 90th: We’ve Come a Long Way Baby!
There are few occupations in this world more pilloried than dowsing… we’ve been accused of witchcraft and the work of the devil, burnt at the stake, drowned on ducking stools, imprisoned, condemned by religious dogma, laughed at, persecuted, denounced and misinterpreted. Some of us have even had a fatwa put on us.
And yet… and yet… dowsing is in total accord with the evolution of humankind, the vast shifts in consciousness of the planet. It is a tangible expression of our non-local connection to each other, the field of consciousness and the Universe as a whole. It is training wheels for our spiritual development and a way to access guidance. On a more practical level it is a means of access to precious resources enabling survival and saving lives, a way to optimise our health, and a way to fathom the energies of our home and our planet, understand our past and solve mysteries. And at its most elegant it is a beautiful way to talk to the Universe.
And now, with the advent of the changing consciousness of the planet, dare we hope for a shift in acceptance?
In this presentation we discuss where we’ve been, where we are — and where we are going. Elizabeth illustrates her talk with personal stories and shares what the enlightened scientists and thinkers are saying and why it is so important — individually and collectively — for us to continue our dowsing quest.
WORKSHOP: NUTRITION: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly — and the Downright Dangerous
Do we really need nutritional supplements? Doctors say we don’t need them; pharmaceutical companies say they don’t work; and the media say they’re a waste of money. So why do people die of malnutrition? And where does the truth lie…?
Did you know that most of the worlds nutritional supplements are manufactured in China? That many are partly or wholly made in laboratories from petrochemicals or from genetically modified ingredients? That taking synthetic vitamins can be extremely harmful to health — and actually cause deficiencies? That many of the more recognised nutritional brands are owned by pharmaceutical companies and multinational food conglomerates?
In this workshop you will learn: the truths and lies about nutritional supplementation; if we really need it, and why; how the media and pharmaceutical companies deliberately mislead the public; where these ‘healthy’ supplements come from; how to distinguish between natural and synthetic nutrition; the curse of isolates; how to determine optimal dosage; how to accurately asses the quality of vitamins and minerals; the essential dowsing questions to ask; and how you can optimise your personal nutrition — and therefore your health — with dowsing.
Author of DOWSING – The Ultimate Guide For the 21st Century, Elizabeth has been a dowser for 35 years. She has spent more than 40 years researching health and 20 years working in the field of health with her Causative Diagnosis® protocol. More about her work can be found on her website: www.causativediagnosis.com
BIOGRAPHY
Elizabeth Brown is an internationally renowned Causative Diagnostician. In addition to working directly with private clients, she supports doctors, dentists, clinics, therapists and consultants in identifying causative factors behind illness – particularly cancer, ME, skin conditions, all forms of allergies, and sets of symptoms that have no allopathic label.
Although Worcestershire born, Elizabeth’s nomadic family background and diverse careers in media and film, interior design and international relocation have given her a broad experience of life. After living and working in New York and Washington DC, she worked for eight years with major multi-nationals and blue chip companies in the City of London. Experiencing, first-hand, the debilitating effects of electromagnetic pollution in an office environment, she then co-founded and ran a successful geopathic stress consultancy, which rapidly received national press coverage.
Cecilia Edwards
WORKSHOP: Autumn Equinix sound bath
Sound Meditation is often referred to as a ‘Sound Bath’ as participants are bathed in the Gong’s sound waves. These waves or vibrations allow the mind & body to become more relaxed, helping support the body’s own healing ability. The only water involved is on the inside – our bodies are made of 70% or more water which is a great conductor of sound! As you become immersed in the vibrations of the sound bath it creates inner ripples, like a sonic massage, cleansing the body and mind. Cecilia guides you and holds the space throughout so that you can let go and receive the benefits.
The Power of the Gong
For thousands of years, throughout cultures and religions, legends and myths have been told about sound being the basic creative force, bringing the universe into being. Sound is energy, information and one of the greatest healing forces.
The gong has been used throughout history as a ceremonial and healing instrument. It is believed to have been around for up to 5000 years, since the beginning of the Bronze Age.
The gong induces a holistic resonance in the body and a spontaneous meditative state in the mind, resulting in a sense of expanded awareness and wholeness, and an intense sense of letting go.
What are healing sounds? Can sound really heal you?
Healing sounds are used to calm the mind and body and facilitate an expansion of consciousness, as opposed to the intrusive or jarring sounds we might be exposed to in our everyday environments. Healing with sound frequencies takes place as an interaction between your energies and the energy of the sound, guided by your intention. Sound healing works on a deep, cellular level. For instance, if there are any emotional blockages or physical pain or injuries, the sound of the gong, as it travels around the body, will connect with those blockages and start to work on removing them, allowing for the energy to flow more easily.
About the workshop; Sound baths are a meditative experience where you are laying down (or sitting), warm and relaxed to receive the healing vibrations of gongs and other therapeutic instruments. Cecilia will give an introduction to Gongs and Sound Healings, outlining some of the benefits before leading participants on a Sound Journey of gongs and other instruments. She will be playing up to three gongs, along with crystal bowls and other therapeutic instruments.
BIOGRAPHY
Cecilia is a fully insured and certified Sound therapist based in Herefordshire, who has trained with the College of Sound Healing, and offers group sound sessions (locally and online), 1-2-1 treatments, holistic weekend retreats and all-night Gong Pujas for a deeper sound immersion experience. She works with high quality small to large scale Gongs, Crystal and Tibetan bowls as well as other therapeutic instruments. She loves to share and spread positive, healing vibrations which can help relieve stress and anxiety, and bring about mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
https://csoundspace.com
Joan Harthan
WORKSHOP: Dowsing your dreams
In her workshop, Joan will initially talk about how you can find meaning in your dreams, which she refers to as Dowsing Your Dreams because it’s rather like that, the only difference is that your dowsing tool isn’t a pair of rods or a pendulum, it’s your intellect and intuition working together.
We will also be looking at dreams that seem to have a trans-personal quality to illustrate that not everything in a dream is necessarily a projection from the unconscious mind of the dreamer.
We will then look at how you can use your dreams to help you do the sort of dowsing you are more familiar with, by incubating a dream with a specific intention of finding something.
BIOGRAPHY
Joan worked as a lecturer/educational consultant for many years before retiring from academia in order to concentrate on writing fiction.
She has run courses on dream analysis since 1995 and has been dream journaling for over twenty-five years. As a member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD), she is a regular contributor to the IASD magazine Dreamtime and has made presentations at international conferences in Europe and America. She is a published author of both works on creative writing and on dream analysis. Also she is trained in the Harner method of Shamanic Counselling.
For more information on the work she does with dreams, visit her dedicated website at www.docdreamuk.com where you’ll find useful information on the meaning of dreams, including how to use dreams as a resource for creative writing.
Nick Haywood
TALK: When you put the idea into people’s heads that anything goes, it does! Curious incidents from 90 years of dowsing
To mark the 90th birthday of the society, we take a look back over the society’s journal, a veritable treasure trove of members’ experiences, their thoughts and reflections on dowsing.
http://www.dowsing-research.net
BIOGRAPHY
Long-time member and former trustee of the society, Dr Nick Haywood’s curiosity about the nature of dowsing has taken him on a fascinating journey. He now understands that there is a deeper reality than the materialistic one, widely accepted by many, and he believes that it is through the study of the lived experiences of dowsers, that insights into this deeper reality may be gained. He is well acquainted with the society’s remarkable 90-year archive of dowsing experiences, and his aim to enhance this with an additional video archive, capturing the activities and thoughts of today’s dowsers.
Margaret Koolman
WORKSHOP: a demonstration of how to discover your intuitive abilities through Astrology.
This she will do by reading the charts of two participants attending the workshop.
Margaret’s talks at dowsing groups have always been well received by members.
BIOGRAPHY
Margaret is an international astrologer and author with 40 years’ experience. She specialises in Soul Astrology, focusing on everyday life from the soul’s perspective, while tuning in to your individual guidance. This way she can help open an individual’s personality for them to see how it works, and how to work with themselves more skilfully.
She has been developing her brand of astrological reading for over forty years, practising internationally. Her work consists mainly of interpreting birth charts for individuals, couples and families, as well as business partners, and their businesses. To assist people with their personal growth and better relationships, and to find and maintain a satisfying contact with one’s spiritual path. She has published a number of books about her work.
https://soulastrology.com/
Christian Kyriacou
TALK: The Epigenetic Consciousness Matrix of Buildings – Genetic Architecture®
Exploring how buildings and our environment influence and shape our lives. An integrative approach to decoding and understanding buildings as vibrant, healthy spaces. Fusing ancient knowledge into contemporary design for building and living.
Earth energies are to be understood and respected, not got rid of. Love, not fear. Experience how Unity Consciousness dissolves duality allowing harmony to flow in the land and our homes.
Designing to principles of nature to support life force chi for raising consciousness and enhancing physical nourishment. Considering the energetic factors which influence the quality of space – the Heart and Soul of buildings.
WORKSHOP: Discovering your Relationship with the Heart of Home
Do you feel at home where you live?
Did you choose your home’ or did it choose you?
Did you choose your home to match their life story and even activate sabotage patterns?
Your home is the Mirror of your soul.
An experiential visualisation workshop to take us into deeper levels of awareness of our home which is a reflection of our ‘inner’ home. A simple yet powerful psychotherapeutic process showing us aspects of our lives and of our soul journey in this lifetime of which we may not have been aware.
Christian will explain the concept of our soul connection to where we live, why we are drawn to a particular place, and how to identify issues that are impacting our lives.
Be prepared to think of where you live in unexpected ways!
BIOGRAPHY
Christian Kyriacou is an Architect, House Whisperer, Author, Geomancer and Feng Shui Consultant and other wide-ranging interests.
His psychotherapeutic approach involves reading and understanding the consciousness of buildings, reading the invisible energies of spaces, which in turn affects the relationship of people to their homes and workplaces.
Encouraging self-responsibility, he guides people to make simple yet powerful changes which lead to resolving many life issues.
He has appeared on international television and radio since 1993 as an inspirational speaker on topics such as the relationship of sound and sacred space, architectural harmonics and music, geomancy and Feng Shui. And as a member of the British Society of Dowsers, he has given well received talks on his work.
In 2016, Christian established The House Whispering Academy, taking people through 24 Modules of in-depth subjects leading to becoming Certified House Whispering Practitioners.
Trish Mills
TALK: Sacred Geometry Made Simple
Trish Mills sweeps us along with some of the most extraordinary revelations you’ve never heard. With a light touch and a sprinkling of humour, she reminds us of a few basics, and then shares the inner workings of sacred geometry in nature. She shows examples of how we have copied and adapted it to achieve harmony and balance in architecture, art, genetics, and much more. As Trish says, when she was researching all this, she felt she was discovering the secrets of the Universe. Come with an open mind – this talk could knock your socks off!
BIOGRAPHY
Most of Trish Mills’ career was in publishing and she has been a dowser since 2006. She lived in America for 10 years during the 1980s, and was a leading light at Slimbridge Dowsing Group until 2018, retiring when her partner was diagnosed with cancer. She has published several books for dowsing’s brightest and best, and the BSD’s Dowsing Today magazine throughout 2022 to much acclaim. Since then she has started a U3A Dowsing Group, and continues giving talks, both on Zoom and in person.
Jonathan Mitchell
TALK: The science of magnetism (and how it relates to dowsing)
Through his work with beekeeping, Jonathan became curious to understand ‘how bees really function?’
His subsequent research has led him to the science of magnetism. He has gained some fascinating insights into the nature of bees, how they travel and where they site their hives, using the electromagnetic fields around them.
He believes that when we dowse, we connect to the magnetic fields around the Earth and during his talk, he will explain how a better understanding of the magnetic sciences will benefit us all.
BIOGRAPHY
Jonathan, a dowser for almost 50 years, has been using dowsing in a number of very interesting ways, including working with various agencies to help find missing people. During this time, he has also worked in agriculture, maintaining an active interest in natural history, archaeology and beekeeping. It is his belief that the behaviour of bees has a very real bearing on dowsing
Sue Pine
WORKSHOP: Making the Most of your Ch’i
Ch’i is the Chinese term for the life-force of the universe, which flows through everything and unifies it in holistic connection. As dowsers, we detect many aspects of ch’i. We know that a healthy ch’i flow through the body and home is vital for good health. This workshop will give you some practical tips and techniques for improving your own ch’i flow, avoiding blockages and making a better connection with the healthy energies in the world around us. It’s a further step towards to device-less dowsing.
BIOGRAPHY
Sue Pine is a dowser and chairs the Norfolk and Suffolk Dowsers in the UK. But she is also a teacher of philosophy and as such cab approach subjects with much interest and present different angles of thought.
Sue has been working with the Chinese system for well over thirty years, initially as a martial artist. She is a qualified teacher of medical Ch’i Kung, with roots in Chinese medicine and philosophy, this is a system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for the purposes of health, spirituality, and martial-arts training.
Penelope Quest
WORKSHOP: Detecting energies to create a safer living environment
A workshop on creating a safer, healthier living environment – you as detective, using your dowsing skills to identify negative and positive energies in your home and surroundings. For example, how close are your neighbours and can their auras affect you, moving your bed/favourite chair out of negative curry lines, using feng shui for better energy flow, clearing negative energies in corners with sound etc. Intertwined throughout, stories of my own experience on teaching energy awareness.
BIOGRAPHY
Penelope Quest is an internationally renowned Reiki Master, spiritual teacher and renowned author on Reiki.
As well as her considerable knowledge and experience of teaching all levels of Reiki for more than 22 years, she is a qualified teacher (FE/HE Cert,Ed) and her academic qualifications include a BA in Psychology and Education, and an MSc in Health and Healing Science. In addition, she trained as a Native American Shaman and studied Celtic Shamanism, sound healing and meditation, plus Penny has taught hundreds of people to dowse to detect energies, has led courses and workshops on Feng Shui, Kinesiology, energy cleansing, geopathic stress, as well as ley lines and other earth energies at some amazing prehistoric sites such as Avebury in Wiltshire, Castlerigg in Cumbria, and the vast ancient spiritual landscape in Orkney.
She is a member of the Society of Authors, the Guild of Health Writers, the British Society of Dowsers, and is a lay preacher for the free-thinking Unitarian church. She is an award-winning author of five best-selling books on Reiki, published by Piatkus/Little Brown Books in the UK, and by Tarcher/Penguin Random House in the USA.
Her latest writing contribution is Chapter 5, “An Earth Spirit Perspective” in the book “Cherishing the Earth – Nourishing the Spirit” edited by Maria Curtis, published in April 2023 by Lindsey Press.
Peter Taylor
WORKSHOP: Using Fibonacci Numbers to identify Power Points in the land to help
heal the human body.
Peter will be giving a practical demonstration on how he uses the numbers of the Fibonacci Code to find the location of Power Points in the land. This will follow on from a video presentation on the theory of the Fibonacci Codes, that all participants registering for the workshop should watch prior to attending. A link to the video will be issued upon registration.
BIOGRAPHY
Peter Taylor is a master dowser. His interests are wide, encompassing water divining, dowsing for minerals, oil and gas, healing sick buildings and dealing with geopathic stress and a keen interest in archaeology. He is another long-time member of the British Society of Dowsers. He passes on his wide knowledge through his teaching and media. Although a dowser for more than 35 years, he is not afraid to embrace new techniques that will help his quests.
Tickets
Early Bird
Early Bird Tickets are available until the end of August. They also include lunch and refreshments, and cost:
Weekend Ticket
£200 for Non-Members
£180 for Members
£160 for Life-Members
Day Ticket
£105 for Non-Members
£95 for Members
£85 for Life-Members
(This represents a saving of about 25%)
Full Price
The full cost of a weekend or daily ticket, which includes lunch and refreshments during the day is:
Weekend Ticket
£270 for Non-Members
£240 for Members
£220 for Life-Members
Day Ticket
£140 for Non-Members
£125 for Members
£115 for Life-Members
Saturday evening dinner
We have arranged a dinner at Ye Olde Talbot Hotel in the centre of Worcester for anyone that would like to join us. This is in a private dining area. 3 Course meal including a drink for £35. Reservations need to be made by 17th September via the BSD shop.
Live broadcast
There are plans to live stream the Conference online for a fee, as we did with the Symposium. The viewing will continue for the duration of the day’s schedule, to include all of the scheduled talks, but only a selection of the workshops, which the viewer will not be able to choose.
Please note that we will send out further information towards the end of August with ticket details for the Live stream.
How to book
Either book your tickets now through the BSD shop using the button below, or contact the BSD Office on 01684576969 (Please note that the office is open part time, please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible).
Cancellation Policy
In the unfortunate event of anyone having to cancel on or before 7th September there will be a full refund. If a cancellation is made between 8th September up to 14th September this will be reduced to 50% refund. No refunds will be available after Friday 15th September 2023.
The Conference Venue
Venue address:
Shires Farm
(Worcestershire Federation of Young Farmers Club)
Hawford
Worcester
WR3 7SG
Location:
The venue is just over 4 miles from Junction 6 of the M5
Getting There
The following instructions will guide you to the venue. If in doubt, please check with the BSD office : info@britishdowsers.org
|
SHIRES FARM HAWFORD, WORCESTER, WR3 7SG (please do not use postcode for the final part!)
What 3 words – prep.cakes.chins
Nearest Train Station: Worcester Foregate Street 3.8 miles |
Shires Farm is situated off the A449 north of Worcester, between Worcester and Ombersley.
DIRECTIONS FROM M5 JUNCTION 6
From the M5 Junction 6 take the A449 north towards Kidderminster along the Northern Link. From the roundabout at the west end of the Northern Link, take the A449 towards Kidderminster, pass King’s Hawford School on your left, dip down over the River Salwarpe and as you go round a long right hand bend you will see a signpost on your right for Chatley and the National Trust Dovecote. (There is no sliproad, just a gap in the dual carriageway).
At the gap*, do a U turn right back south onto the dual carriageway. You will then almost immediately drive through some national speed limit signs and then the entrance is on your left.
Drive up the driveway “Lionel’s Way” onto block paved carpark. The entrance to the building is to your left.
*If you miss the gap or prefer a bigger space, there is another opportunity to do a U turn a little further up, or you can continue further up the road and go through the village of Ombersley. Please see map below. To use Ombersely to turn, take the left slip road to Ombersley. In the village turn right at the roundabout. Follow signs for Worcester A449 and take the right turn back onto the A449. Continue on the A449 until after you pass the turn off for Chatley immediately start to indicate, the entrance to Shires Farm is 170 yds on the left, down a long tarmac drive.
DIRECTIONS FROM KIDDERMINSTER
Travel along the A449 dual carriageway heading for Worcester, by-passing Ombersley village for approx a further 2 miles. After you pass the turn off for Chatley immediately start to indicate as entrance to Shires Farm is 170 yds on the left, down a long tarmac drive.
Please note SAT NAV will direct you via Chatley Lane and The Hawford Dovecote – this is wrong. The only way in is via the driveway directly off A449.
Accomodation
The following are just some suggestions.
Travelodge Worcester: https://www.travelodge.co.uk/
Premier Inn, Worcester City Centre and Worcester M5, Junction 6 : https://www.premierinn.com/
Airbnb also have places offering accommodation in Worcester: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/
Ye Olde Talbot Hotel : https://www.greenekinginns.co.uk/hotels/ye-olde-talbot/
Diglis House Hotel : https://www.diglishousehotel.co.uk/
Severn View Hotel: https://www.severnview-hotel.co.uk/
12 serviced apartments: https://www.no12apartments.co.uk/
The Crown. Wetherspoon: https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/worcestershire/the-crown-worcester
You can search for various types of accommodation on the official tourism website is : https://www.visitworcestershire.org/
To contact Worcester Tourist Information Office, Tel: 01905 726311 Email: tourism@worcester.gov.uk