Do You Know What You're Doing in Jose of Four 12?

Harlotry is a common term that's used in the prophets to refer to Israelites worshipping other gods. Even if this were referring to dowsing, it wouldn't be dowsing considered by itself. And anything calling on a pagan deity is a different act morally speaking. It seems clear that whatever oracles these people were obtaining from their branches, they were calling on pagan deities to do so. That raises another possibility about what the branch might refer to. There were lots of little pagan idols known as terrafime or household gods made out of branches of wood.