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THE BROOM STICK, OR BESOM (ph. beh-sum) Who doesn't associate a broomstick with witches? It's the imagery Halloween cards are made of! Yet the besom, or broom, as a tool, carries with it much history, a history some may find both surprising and interesting. It is the ultimate symbol of male and female union, polarity and balance: the long handle is a phallic symbol, plunging, literally, into the female "brush." Traditionally, specific types of wood were chosen for the handle and very specific herbs or grasses/straws could be chosen for the brush part as well. How did it come to be seen and used as a magical tool? In the Middle Ages, when many known magical tools were outlawed, there were some that remained safe, doubling as household objects: the cauldron and the broom. As an everyday object, the besom could not be named as a sign or tool of witchcraft in the courts, and this may have elevated their prominence as magical tools. In time, besoms would take the place of wands or staves for many practitioners, as they were safely and easily "explained." The broom, in its most primitive form, is a very basic device: no artisan is required to craft it and some of the most breathtaking besoms have been hand-crafted by everyday witches. Brooms were the official symbol of a midwife in ancient Greece and Anatolia; a regular aspect of the birthing process included clearing the birthing chamber of negative or malevolent spirits and energy; this is where the midwife's broom came in. Indeed, the broom was among the sacred attributes of Hecate, Matron of Midwives and Witches. In ancient Egypt, the besom was once a wooden staff adored with a fan of feathers, used for protection and purification. European Witches, during pre-Christian times as well as long after the rise of Constantine, used their brooms for ritual purification, as well as protection. In time, the broom became a powerful symbol and tool used to invoke and project, both. In Ireland, the besom was called a "Faery Horse." But what of the Witch, flying on her broomstick? Some believe that this idea may have been born from misunderstanding astral projection. Others believe that as the broom is a phallic symbol traditionally used in fertility rites, this is where the idea of a witch riding her broom, comes from. A CLEAN SWEEP ... of broomstick facts To Make A Traditional Besom You'll Need: Directions: STEP TWO STEP THREE STEP FOUR WOOD AND HERB ALTERNATIVES WHEN MAKING YOUR BESOM Think the broom is just a feminine tool? Not so fast - the besom is appreciated by men (though generally without the long broomstick or handle) and male deities as well, such as Herne, Faunus and other horned gods, who are often seen carrying short brooms, usually branches, especially birch. But both genders agree that it's a powerful tool. Besoms made of grasses can be found at crossroads in Central Mexico, the traditional place for depositing spiritually dangerous or contaminated items. The besoms are left there to aid in the purification and protection energies required of a well-used crossroads. Old European spells required the sweeping the bath behind one as one walked; in this way, enemies were unable to obtain energy from your footprints, and work against you. In Spanish witchcraft, brooms were dressed up as women and used in love spells. Today, many modern Witches include the consecrated besom as an important ritual tool, used for clearing and cleansing sacred space before a circle is cast. A broom leaned against or across a door keeps enemies away and a broom placed above or near a door of entry or outside on the front stoop as Samhain draws near, to ward off unwanted or trickster energies. A Chant To Use During A Ritual Cleansing SOURCES: www.earthwitchery.com, www.hecatescauldron.com, www.witchway.net, The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Judika Illes (Harper Element) |
Oh, yes... those nifty little tools that every Witch loves! Our very own tricks and treats! And why not? Every trade or area of speciality has tools. Why should the Craft be any different? From athames to chalices and pentacles to cauldrons, the tools of the Witch are beautiful, deeply personal, historical and powerful. Each issue of Full Moon Rising Magazine, turn to this page to discover the historical and practical meanings of one of the witch's tools. This issue, the broom.
