Beautiful Besom, swept away!

[Mex]

Hi Everyone!
I have just got myself a beautiful handmade besom. I know that they are generally a fertility object and are used at Hand-fasting ceremonies, but I would love to hear any history, spells etc that involve besoms (brooms). Thanks!
Blessed be!
Mex

[Faery-Wings]

Congrats on your new broom. Mine is one from a craft store that I decorate with fake flowers and ribbons for the seasons/holidays.

Don't know too much on the history of them, I would love to hear more too.

[Flar's Freyja]

Here's a site with some fun history and superstition about brooms:

http://www.globalpsychics.com/lp/Superstition/witches_and_%20brooms.htm

Hehe, in my quest I found out that Witches' Broom is a plant and there's also some sort of bread stick and cheese recipe but it was no longer available on the site :(

You can probably find more info in the Magick and Rituals forum (I haven't done a search). I made my first besom from a bunch of willow that was dumped in my yard after a storm. I found out later that Willow is associated with blessings of the Moon. I use it to sweep my altar and sacred space areas to cleanse them and raise energy prior to ritual. It hangs in my bedroom for protection while not in magickal use. I am not sure where I read it, but some (including myself) touch their besoms prior to going to sleep or leaving the house and say "Besom, guard thine own." I have brooms by each of my doors to protect my home and have decorated brooms and given them as gifts to family members for the same purpose. I decorate my own besoms with ribbons and other items that I have brought home from the public rituals that I have attended.

With Samhain coming up soon, many of the larger craft shop chains have wonderful small brooms for the children to use with their Halloween costumes. Many are made out of natural materials and are perfect for our purposes ;)

[Aotearoa]

You could also search the Arts Crafts and other things forumn for some funky craft ideas....aww! I feel like making one now...heeheehee!:D

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Last year during the month of October I checked out several books on the history of Witchcraft. I was specfically interested in why Witches ride brooms. A couple of those books were on folklore. One of those folklore books had the oddest reasoning....at least it was odd to me.....it said that Witches rode brooms because they are scared of horses.....and that explains why it was thought that horseshoes bring good luck....cause usually where there's a horse shoe, there's a horse.....and if you wanted to keep Witches away, then what better way than to hang a horse shoe by your door!

Since I ride horses, I thought this odd.

[Flar's Freyja]

I did a search and couldn't find anything. I posted a thread in the Problems forum and Mol informed me that the post index was messed up in the server move. He's in the process of fixing it and we should be able to locate other threads on this topic soon :)

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Well, I've searched more the past day or two more than since I joined.....I had come to the conclusion that the seach button was useless.....guess this explains why!:D

[Flar's Freyja]

Yep. Mol broke it.

[Mithrea]

Actually I just read something about brooms in "Clan of the Goddess" by C.C. Brondwin. She says that the broom was a way of hiding a wand or staff. They would bundle sticks around the end and hide it in plain sight in the corner as a broom.

[Flar's Freyja]

I like that! Especially since I'm running out of room in the magickal trunk. I imagine that it would add a little extra oomph to your besom!

[Mithrea]

I bet!

[Mex]

Thanks for that site address on brooms/superstitions etc. What great reading! I am glad the broom was not bought in May!

Blessed be!
Mex

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Originally posted by Freyja
I made my first besom from a bunch of willow that was dumped in my yard after a storm. I found out later that Willow is associated with blessings of the Moon


I had forgotten that besoms are traditionally made of willow. I've got a big Willow tree in my front yard. My husband blocked the tree and a nice size area off with old barn post. Then he made a headgate. It's my own little meditation area. I use it mostly in the mornings after he's gone to work and the kids are still asleep.