For magical folk everywhere, springtime isn’t just associated with cleaning the physical home, but also with clearing the space energetically: moving old, stuck energy out and calling fresh, sparkling energy in. Of course, springtime is also associated with faeries! As a fun fusion of both these associations, it feels so right this time of year to clear the space with a small, homemade, faerie-like broom tied with fresh flowers and herbs and tinkling with tiny bells.
Spring Cleaning Faerie Broom
Indeed, according to author Deborah Blake in The Witch’s Broom, “Early Celtic pagans connected brooms with faeries.” Feel this connection come alive, first as you construct the broom, and then again when you use it in a ritual.
Time to complete: One hour or less
Cost: $10.00 to 15.00
Supplies
A ting ting bunch (a type of dried, curly, reedlike grass available at floral supply and craft stores)
Twig branches (from outside or a craft store)
A bundle of jute twine
A string of tiny bells (available at Asian import stores, or make your own with bells from a craft store)
Ribbons, lace, and/or trim (this is a good opportunity to use up odds and ends)
Optional: other decorative items such as strings of crystals and beads
A few fresh flowers and sprigs of herbs (fresh picked or store bought)
Optional: a hot glue gun and hot glue
If it’s sunny outside, cleanse and bless the ting ting and twigs by holding them in sunlight and saying a quick prayer or invocation, such as:
Lugh, Celtic God of light, healing, and the sun, please cleanse and bless these ingredients with your bright positivity and power. Thank you.
Arrange the twigs among the ting ting bunch so that they help fill it out, and, with a piece of jute twine, tie it all together tightly at the place near the middle where the narrow end of the bunch begins to branch outward.
Starting at the place where you just tied the twine and moving down along the narrow half of the bunch to the end, wind more jute twine around what will now become the handle of the broom, covering the entire thing neatly and binding it together. Affix it by tying tightly at the end. (If you want, you can use the hot glue gun for this purpose.)
Also tie a bit of jute in a loop onto the end in case you want to hang your broom as a decoration.
Close to the area where you first tied the jute twine (where the full part of the bunch begins to branch out), tie the string of bells around the broom.
Embellish the broom handle by tying the ribbons (and/or lace, trim, etc.) as desired over the jute. (Again, you can use a hot glue gun, although I found that tying alone worked just fine.)
Snugly, but not so tight that you bind the ting ting and twigs more closely together, somewhat randomly wind and weave another little bit of jute through the base of the broom bristles and tie with a knot. Use this to arrange the blossoms and herbs into the broom for the purpose of springtime space clearing.
You can remove the flowers and herbs when they wilt or dry out, and refresh them as desired. Still, even without the fresh flowers and herbs, your broom can clear the space quickly and effectively, particularly if you set the clear intention and perform the blessing ritual below.
Faerie Broom Blessing Ritual
First, a caveat: are you sure you want to call on the faeries to bless your broom? Of course it is a faerie broom, but once you call on them they might just want to stay, and you should still be advised that some people find living with faeries a bit, well … challenging. Faeries love laughter and mischief, so they might attempt to thwart your orderly existence if they decide that you’re overly serious or goal-oriented. (For example, they are notorious for hiding car keys.) On the other hand, if you’re ready to go with the flow, giggle helplessly at the discord of life, and surrender your need to control and micromanage every detail, faeries can provide a generous scoop of sparkle, color, and fun. So—while I personally adore living and working with faeries—of course, the choice is yours. (Just don’t say I didn’t warn you!)
Just before sunrise on Ostara, take your broom outside. (It’s okay if you do this with the fresh flowers and herbs tucked in, but it’s also just fine if you do it without.) Face east and arrange a small offering of chocolate chips and/or berries (or crystals if you’re worried about ants), along with a few walnut shells filled with beer, wine, ale, or mead.
As the sun peeks above the horizon, hold your broom toward the rising sun as you say:
Faeries now I call on you
To help clear out the old and summon the new.
At this portal betwixt the worlds,
I beckon that magic which twirls and unfurls.
May this broom be blessed, and consecrated too,
Bringing sparkling enchantment to all that I do.
(Be sure that you don’t say thank you, as faeries don’t understand and are unsettled by the concept of spoken words of thanks. Instead, let the offering be your gesture of appreciation.)
Bring the broom to touch your heart to align yourself with its energy. Then sweep the air around yourself powerfully. First, move in a counterclockwise circle to clear yourself, and then a clockwise circle to call in positivity and seal in positive energy and magic. In addition to providing a powerful personal clearing and blessing, this will activate the broom and further align you with its energy, while creating an additional offering to the faeries in the form of the tinkling sound of the bells.
How to Use Your Broom
As you’ve probably gleaned, this is not a broom for physical sweeping. Rather, like a bundle of dried sage or a mister of water and essential oils, it’s a space-clearing tool. To use it, simply make powerful sweeping motions in the air while moving in a counterclockwise direction through each room and area that you’d like to clear. Pay special attention to corners and any area where you might imagine that the energy could get stuck. You can sweep a foot off of the ground, along the walls, and even up high, a foot or so away from the ceiling.
I also like to use it to quickly cleanse my ritual space before meditations, spells, and any spiritual work.
To keep your broom’s energy fresh and vibrant, clear it periodically by bathing it in bright sunlight and/or smudging it with sage or incense. You can also refresh the consecration ritual by performing it again next Ostara.
For Further Reading
Blake, Deborah. The Witch’s Broom: The Craft, Lore, and Magick of Broomsticks. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2014.
Geddess, Neil, and Alicen Geddess-Ward. Faeriecraft: Treading the Path of Faerie Magic. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2005.
Whitehurst, Tess. Magical Housekeeping: Simple Charms and Practical Tips for Creating a Harmonious Home. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2010.