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Association Of The Broom With Witchcraft
The broom, a simple shaft of wood tipped with a brush of twigs or straw, bound together by thin strips of bark soaked in water, wrapped around the straw or twig binding, and left to tighten as it dries. Why would a simple household item bear so much significance in magic and witchcraft?
The broom was carefully assembled by the women from straw and a local wood, hazel was a customary tree for this purpose. The end was best made from birch twigs, and bound to the handle with strips of willow withy. A shaft of wood tipped with bristles made for cleaning the floor.
So why is this tool so central to the practice of witchcraft, and so deeply tied to the image of a witch? To understand that, we have to go back to a simpler time and understand the place this tool held in the life of the average peasant housewife. The owner almost always made it, and therefore a deeply personal tool that had the personality of its creator imprinted in its very construction. The canny will recognize this as the trait of any good magical tool.
The Broom With Witchcraft
Additionally, the broom takes precious care of that place that was the woman’s demesne at that time, the home. It keeps the floor clean, to get into the nooks and crannies where the family animals could hide. The broom was also a tool to get cobwebs out of the corners. It would be used to push the rushes that covered the floor out or shoo the chickens and other animals out the door. The broom was a tool in most aspects of the home, and that gave it power.
For a witch, its symbolism and power ran even deeper. They already made it with their very hands, but they would often take a bit more care in its construction. You see, it was no coincidence that the witch chose hazel as their wood of choice. It promotes health, knowledge, and wisdom.
The willow was deeply tied to emotion and healing and would bind itself to the one that wielded its power, while birch twigs served as protection against evil spirits. Everything about this tool was a symbol of protection, health, and the enhancement of the witch’s natural intelligence and curiosity.
The broom is a symbol of a sympathetic magical ritual in the fields. The witch jumps above the plowed and planted ground to tell it how high to grow. It facilitates flight by using it as a method of inserting psychoactive chemicals into the body. This promotes a trance-like or hallucinogenic state enabling the witch to astral project more easily.
Cleanse the Circle
After any circle was opened, it was the broom that was used to physically and magically cleanse the circle of any residual dust and energy. This ushers unwanted spirits attracted by the activity out of the home.
In closing, brooms are a symbol of witchcraft both because of the folklore of the witch on her broom. It has practical magic applications. Of course, it is a method of achieving the flight for which witches were so popular. This might only be spiritual. If you are a magical practitioner, you might consider making one of your very own! It’s not difficult, and it can be very rewarding!