Besom or Broom Lore

contributed by Mincx

Throughout history, the besom is traditionally linked
to Witchcraft, and "flying Witches".
It is still widely used today in magick ritual,
to "sweep" the psychic dirt away, cleanse the circle, or ritual area.

There are many explanations for the idea that Witches can fly on broomsticks, one popular belief being that Witches often used the mandrake root for pain relief. And to be graphic, menstruation pain.
(Mandrake contains scopalamine, which is (along with atropine) also found in thorn apple/belladonna. Both were commonly used in 'witches potions' to induce out of body experiences.)
The root would be concocted into a paste which seeped through the skin when applied to relieve the pain. It was often rubbed in the armpit area, or for vaginally, applied with the handle of the broom. Being highly hallucinogenic, this may have given the feeling or "flight" or "riding the broomstick".

It is also said that in the times of the Witch hunts, that the Church wanted to spread fear surrounding Witches, and during those times, what better way that to accuse them of having the ability to fly.

Whatever the reason, the broomstick, ir "besom" is still a widely used tool in Pagan rite, and often used in blessings of fertility.


Some Folklore of the Besom

An old English Saying:
"Buy a broom in May, and you will sweep your friends away."

In Welsh Tradition among the Gypsies, there was an old custom of the broomstick wedding. The couple solemnized their rites before witnesses by jumping over a broom placed in a doorway, without dislodging it. To dissolve the marriage, they had to reverse the process, jumping backwards out of the house, over the broom, before the same witnesses.

An old Yorkshire belief:
should a young girl inadvertently step over
a broom handle she will become, a mother before she becomes a wife.

In Sicily, on Midsummer's Eve,
a broom is placed outside the home to ward off any wickedness
that might come knocking.

Never sweep after the sunset, or fear chasing away happiness
or hurting a wandering soul.

Brooms laid across the doorways are believed to keep evil out.

Never use a broom when there is a dead person in the house.

Never bring old brooms into new houses
as a broom becomes attached to houses
so leave the old one behind.

Never walk on a broom.

Never use a broom to sweep outside the house,
unless the inside of the house is cleaned first.

If you sweep under someone's feet
tell them that you will dance at their wedding.
Otherwise they will have bad luck.

A new broom should sweep dirt out of a house
only after it has swept something in.


"Making a Besom"

design & creation by: Edain McCoy

Here are some easy to follow directions for handcrafting your own besom by Edain. If you would like a Besom of your own, they are fairly easy to find in craft stores, country markets, or folk art fairs. You can also invest your energies into making one, a good idea if you wish to use it in place of a Wand or other ritual tool.

To make a Besom you will need a four-foot dowel one inch in diameter, a ball of twine, scissors, and straw or other long strands of pliable herbs.

Take the straw, or another herb you have chosen for the bristles, and allow them to soak overnight in warm, lightly salted water. The water softens the straws to make them pliable, and the salt soaks out former energies.

When you are ready to make your Besom, remove the straws from the water and allow them to dry a bit, but not so much that they lose the suppleness you will need to turn them into your Besom.

Find a work area where you can lay out the length of your dowel, and begin lining the straws alongside the dowel. Starting about three inches from the bottom, lay the straws, moving backward, along the length of the dowel. Begin binding these to the dowel with the twine. You will need to tie them very securely. You can add as many layers of straw as you wish, depending on how full you would like your Besom to be.

When the straw is secured, bend the top straws down over the twine ties. When they

are all gently pulled over, tie off the straws again a few inches below the original tie. Leave the Besom overnight to allow the straw to dry.

The dowel part of the Besom can be stained, painted, or decorated with Pagan symbols, your Craft name, or any other embellishments you choose. Dedicate your finished Besom in your Circle as you would any other ritual tool. ~From Edain McCoy's book �The Sabbats: A New Approach to Living the Old Ways� (C) 1994.

When I handcrafted my own besom, I followed Edain's easy design but I substituted a special branch from a special tree to use in place of a dowel. I stripped the bark off and sanded it by hand. I did not use any type of stain because I wanted a natural look. This is also how I crafted my wedding besom. I used willow from a tree that fell after a storm for the bristle parts and after it was dried I tied them on with raffia strips. Since then I have made many besoms for people that have asked. There are so many things to try, experiment and have fun. After all the things that we make ourselves and put love into are the ones that obtain a piece of ourselves in the work.

Witches' Broom

This is another that you can change with the seasons. A simple small broom that you can pick up from any craft store, and by adding seasonal flowers, fruits, berries, and some odds and ends you can have a decorative piece that will last. You can even apply this to your Besom.

ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:

1: Small broom, about 1' by 8"
2-4: Plastic seasonal flowers. For Yule: Holly, Mistletoe, Evergreens, Pine Cones etc. Berries or fruit: Oranges, Black Berries, Gourds etc.
1: Of 3 different colours of ribbon, about 12"-16" long. For Yule: Red, Green, and Gold.
Some thin (non-lead) wire, or you can strip garbage bag twist-ties of thier paper coats.
1: Ornament oriented to the sabbat. For Yule: In Celtic tradition Yule was a Sabbat that was added later, so you can add something like a sun ornament to honour the returning of the sun, a unlit red candle. If it were for Litha I would add a small spear or sun.
Wire Cutters, Scissors and some glue should you need it.

DIRECTIONS:
Using the wire cutters cut down the flower stems to a workable height. Using the wire, begin tieing in the seasonal flowers and berries at the base of the broom where the bristles begin. Manipulate the leaves of the flowers to lie flat against the bristles. This will give a good background for the colour of the flowers to show.

Lay your berries and or fruits in between the flowers and tie off with wire. Once you have all the foliage in, wire in the sabbat ornament of your choice.

To hide the wire tie the ribbon in a bow or whatever knot you prefer and let some of the excess drape around and under the the piece.

TO HANG:
String a bit of wire through the top of the handle and hang on a nail in the door. If you prefer to hang your broom bristles up, then weave the wire through some of the bristles and really twist for strength. If you are hanging this on the front door, it's going to get a lot of traffic by it, so make sure it is secured well. For Eostre (Ostara, Spring Equinox etc.) I hung an egg in the centre and it didn't fall off once, even though it had to face big guys carrying large musical equipment in and out.

In some traditions, one end of the broom shaft (the end covered by the bush) is carved into the shape of a phallus. Carving it into the shape of our own phallus is optional for us men.

Great info Lady E. Thank you.