Few magical tools are as instantly recognizable as the witch’s broom, or besom. While popular culture has cemented its association with witchcraft through images of witches soaring through the night sky, the besom holds a far deeper significance in Wiccan practice. This humble household implement serves as a powerful ritual tool with rich symbolism and practical applications that extend far beyond its mundane purpose.
Historical Origins
The besom’s connection to witchcraft and folk magic predates modern Wicca by centuries. Traditional besoms were handcrafted using natural materials:
- A handle (stave) of ash, oak, willow, or hazel wood
- Bundled birch twigs, broom corn, or other flexible brush material
- Bindings of willow branches or natural cords
In rural European households, the broom represented both practical cleanliness and spiritual purity. Hanging a broom by the door was a common folk practice believed to protect the home from negative influences and unwelcome spirits.
The infamous association between witches and flying brooms likely originated from several historical factors:
- The practice of “riding” brooms in fertility rituals and agricultural ceremonies
- The use of psychoactive herbal ointments applied to broom handles (and sometimes the sensitive skin of the inner thighs)
- Sympathetic magic related to encouraging crops to grow tall
- Shamanic trance practices involving “spiritual flight”
When witch persecutions intensified during the medieval and early modern periods, these practices were demonized and reinterpreted as literal flight through diabolical means.
Symbolism in Wiccan Tradition
Within modern Wiccan practice, the besom embodies multiple layers of symbolic meaning:
Elemental Balance
The besom represents a perfect balance of elemental forces:
- The wooden handle embodies the masculine principle and the elements of air and fire
- The bristles represent the feminine principle and the elements of earth and water
- Their joining symbolizes the sacred union of opposites
Liminality and Transition
The besom serves as a symbol of thresholds and transitions between:
- The mundane world and sacred space
- Different states of consciousness
- Life stages and seasonal transitions
Purification and Protection
As a tool that physically sweeps away dirt, the besom naturally symbolizes:
- Spiritual cleansing
- Removal of negative energies
- Protection of sacred space
Ritual Uses in Wiccan Practice
Sacred Space Preparation
Before casting a circle or beginning formal ritual work, many Wiccans use the besom to cleanse the space energetically. This practice typically involves:
- Sweeping the ritual area in a deosil (clockwise) direction
- Visualizing negative energies being gathered and dispersed
- Chanting appropriate words of power or intent
This process creates a clean energetic slate for magical work to follow.
Handfasting Ceremonies
In Wiccan wedding rituals (handfastings), couples often incorporate the besom through a practice known as “jumping the broom.” After their vows, the couple leaps over a decorated besom together, symbolizing:
- Their transition into a new life stage
- Crossing the threshold into their shared future
- Sweeping away past negativity
- Fertility and prosperity in their union
This practice connects to similar traditions found in various cultures, including certain African American wedding customs that developed during slavery when formal marriages were often denied.
Magical Flight
While physical flight remains firmly in the realm of fiction, some Wiccans use the besom in trance work and astral projection practices. Through meditation with the besom, practitioners may:
- Facilitate shamanic journeying
- Enhance visualization of spiritual movement
- Connect with ancestral witchcraft traditions
- Work with specific deities associated with liminality
Home Protection
Many Wiccans continue folk traditions of using besoms for home protection by:
- Placing a besom across doorways to prevent negative energies from entering
- Hanging besoms by the main entrance, often adorned with protective herbs
- Sweeping the perimeter of property to establish magical boundaries
Crafting a Ritual Besom
Many practitioners create personal besoms dedicated specifically to magical use. The process typically involves:
Materials Selection
Choosing woods and binding materials with specific magical properties:
- Ash: Protection and strength
- Birch: Purification and new beginnings
- Willow: Intuition and flexibility
- Oak: Endurance and power
Consecration
Dedicating the besom through ritual processes such as:
- Cleansing with the four elements
- Charging under the full or new moon
- Anointing with oils corresponding to its intended purpose
- Binding specific intentions through visualization and spellwork
Personalization
Adding personal touches that enhance the besom’s magical properties:
- Attaching ribbons in colors corresponding to specific intentions
- Weaving protective herbs into the bristles
- Carving or painting magical symbols on the handle
- Adding crystals or charms for specific magical purposes
Care and Maintenance
A ritual besom requires proper care to maintain its magical efficacy:
- Store in a respectful location, often separate from household cleaning tools
- Periodically cleanse and recharge its energy
- Replace components that become worn or damaged
- Re-consecrate after significant magical work
Many practitioners avoid letting their ritual besom touch the ground when not in use, storing it with the bristles upward to maintain its gathered power.
Modern Interpretations and Adaptations
Contemporary Wiccan practice has seen various adaptations of traditional besom work:
- Mini-besoms created specifically for altar use
- Decorative besoms designed for year-round display and protection
- Integration of besoms into seasonal celebrations and sabbat decorations
- Use of besom imagery in jewelry and personal talismans
Some urban practitioners or those who must keep their practice private may use smaller, less obvious versions or symbolic representations rather than full-sized besoms.
The Besom in Wiccan Aesthetics
Beyond its practical ritual applications, the besom has become an important element in Wiccan visual identity and aesthetics. As one of the few magical tools that remains instantly recognizable to outsiders, the besom serves as:
- A powerful symbol of the Witch’s craft and heritage
- A connection to folkloric traditions
- A reminder of the integration of practical and magical aspects of life
Conclusion
The besom stands as a perfect example of how Wiccan practice transforms ordinary objects into extraordinary tools for spiritual work. By elevating a common household implement to sacred status, the tradition emphasizes that magic doesn’t require exotic or expensive items—rather, it infuses everyday life with meaning and power.
In its dual nature as both practical tool and magical implement, the besom embodies a core principle of Wiccan philosophy: the integration of the spiritual and material worlds. Whether used to physically sweep a ritual space, symbolically clear negative energies, or serve as a focal point for meditation, the besom continues to hold an important place in the practice of modern Witchcraft, connecting contemporary practitioners to ancient traditions while adapting to the needs of present-day spiritual work.