chapter
3

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Broom Basics

Whether you are making your own broom or buying one, the first thing to consider is what kind of wood the handle is made from.

In some cases, this may not matter to you. I bought a broom (one that was handcrafted locally) just because I liked the way it looked and felt in my hands. As with any other magickal tool, you may be drawn to the right broom for you. If you look at one broom in a big pile and your heart makes a happy noise, you’ve probably found it.

On the other hand, you may want to set out to make or buy a broom with specific magickal qualities, in which case you will probably want to look for a wood that is associated with those qualities. (As always, no matter what all the books and “experts” say, magickal associations aren’t written in stone, and what works for one person may not work for another. Listen to your inner wisdom.)

Various Woods and Their
Magickal Associations

Wood for brooms can be found a couple of different ways. If you are lucky enough to live on a property that has trees on it, you may be able to find a broom handle right outside your own door. You can use a piece of fallen wood if it is still in good shape or cut off a branch from a live tree. If you do the latter, be sure to say “please” and “thank you” and maybe leave a little gift at the base of the tree to show your appreciation for its sacrifice.

It isn’t necessarily a bad thing to take wood from a living tree. I have a few apple trees, and they have to be pruned every couple of years to keep them healthy and increase the amount of energy sent to the apple blossoms (which eventually become apples) instead of to the limbs and branches. The last time I had this done, I kept a few nice pieces to make into wands later on, and other chunks were put aside to dry so they could be thrown on the bonfire during summer rituals. The next time I need to trim it, I plan to look for a branch big enough to use as a broom handle.

If you are taking a small branch off a living tree, you probably won’t harm it. However, large-scale pruning requires either some research or hiring a professional. Too drastic pruning done at the wrong time of year can actually kill a tree.

For those not lucky enough to have trees on their property (or who don’t have the right kind of trees), you can try walking through nearby woods or parks to see if you can find a fallen limb that is the right size and shape. You can even do as ancient Pagans did and ask the faeries to lead you to just the right tree. Just be sure that, wherever you are, it is legal and permitted to remove a piece of wood from the area. You can also ask friends who have wooded property to let you explore on their land.

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broom lore
do not sweep the room of a departed guest until he has been gone for some time, or the sweeping will cause him to come back

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What if you are a city witch, with no access to the woods? In that case, you will probably have to buy a piece of wood for your broomstick handle or buy the entire broom. In this case, you can certainly look for one that is made out of whatever wood you prefer.

Here are a few of the more common choices and their generally accepted magickal associations.

Alder

Not to be confused with the elder, alder is one of the trees that has long been associated with Witchcraft. Alder can grow in boggy ground where other trees can’t survive, so it is a water element plant. If you are creating a broom for a purpose that has water connections, you may want to consider the alder. Alder, once cut, will eventually turn red, and therefore it is sometimes linked to women’s bleeding cycles and is particularly protective for women. In Ireland, it was once forbidden to cut down an alder, whereas in Italy, the wood was used for May Eve (Beltane) bonfires. In the Ogham alphabet, the alder stands for endurance, strength, and passion.

Apple

Apple is another tree that is associated with magick and witches. If you cut an apple in half across the middle, you can see a pentacle inside. Apple wood has long been used for wands, but there is no reason you couldn’t use it for a broomstick as well, if you can find a long-enough piece. Apples are often associated with love magick, so if you want a broom particularly for that use (or to sweep love into your home, as in the ritual in chapter 8), apple wood might make a good choice. Apples are associated with love, healing, and immortality. The Ogham symbol for apple stands for beauty, love, and generosity.

Ash

Ash is the traditional choice for a witch’s broom, probably in part because it is associated with protection and strength, as well as healing and prosperity. In Northern Europe, the ash was referred to as Yggdrasil, the world tree. Ash is also sacred to Druids. In the Druid’s Ogham tree alphabet, ash stands for connection, wisdom, and surrender.

Birch

Birches are among the most mysterious and beautiful of trees. Slender, white, and resilient, they bend instead of breaking. Also known as “the Lady of the Woods,” birches have a definite feminine feel to them and are associated with birth and new beginnings. Traditional besoms used birch twigs for the sweeping end, but there is no reason why you couldn’t use birch wood for the handle of a broom as well. The birch symbolizes purity, healing, banishing, purification, and light, so it is perfect for any broom that is specifically designed to sweep away negativity. The birch is associated with Brigid and Baba Yaga. In the Ogham alphabet, it stands for beginning, renewal, and youth.

Elder

The elder is also known as “the witch tree” and has long been linked to magick and Witchcraft. In Judika Illes’ The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft (a wonderful book I highly recommend, by the way), she says, “The elder is a threshold tree: it serves as a portal that allows souls to pass between realms. Ghosts, spirits, and elves can pass into the mortal realm via elder trees and bushes, but remember, one-way signs don’t exist in the magical, shamanic world. Elders are also portals where you can access other realms.” If you want a broom for divination, or one especially for use on Samhain, you might consider making the handle out of elder. Elders are associated with protection, love, banishing, and purification. It is particularly useful for protection or handfasting brooms. In the Ogham, elder stands for transition, evolution, and continuation.

Elm

Elm trees were also linked to witches, with the Scotch elm being known as “the wych elm” and the German Hexenulme, translating to “witch’s elm.” The Romany (gypsies) use elm branches for their magick wands, although they believe that the wood should never be cut from a living tree and wait to find a fallen branch to use instead. If you are going to use elm wood for your broom handle, you might be better off following this rule. The elm is associated with love magick, and it is often used as the Maypole for Beltane celebrations.

Maple

The maple tree is associated with prosperity, love, and long life. While not as magickal as some other trees, it is sturdy and long-lasting, and it is often used for wands. You may be able to find a premade maple dowel to use as your broomstick if you look at a local hardware store.

Oak

Oak is another traditional wood often used for broomsticks. Masculine and strong, it was revered by the Druids, who reputedly met under its branches. A powerfully protective tree, it can grow to tremendous size and live a very long time. I have an oak in my front yard that has probably been here for at least as long as my hundred-plus-year-old house. (And yes, I often thank it for guarding the front boundary onto my property.) Oaks are used for power, protection, healing, luck, and prosperity. You could think of it as an all-purpose magickal wood. In the Ogham alphabet, the oak represents strength, stability, and nobility.

Pine

Many store-bought brooms have pine handles. Pine is a relatively inexpensive wood (a “soft” wood, rather than hardwood trees like oak and maple) that is easy to find. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a perfectly good tree for our purposes. A kind of fir, the pine is associated with healing, fertility (probably because of its prolific pinecones, which not only make new pine trees all over the place, but contain edible pine nuts), protection, and prosperity. Since firs (pines) are evergreens, they don’t drop their leaves in the winter, as so many other trees do, and have been used to symbolize life in the midst of death. Yule trees are always made of some kind of fir, often pine. If you can’t get a piece of wood from your local environment, you can always find a pine dowel in a hardware store or often in places like Walmart. The Ogham symbol for firs stands for clarity, achievement, and energy.

Rowan

The rowan tree has long been associated with witches, ironically both as a magickal tree and as one that was used to protect against witches. (Presumably none of us needs it for that!) However, it is also considered spiritually protective and has historically been used to protect ships from sinking and houses from lightning strikes, and it was made into magick wands, dowsing rods, and walking sticks. If you want a particularly protective broom, you may want to see if you can find a piece of rowan to use as your handle. The Ogham symbol for rowan stands for protection, expression, and connection.

Walnut

Walnuts are another large, strong tree, with darker than usual wood. In Italy, witches were said to dance underneath walnut trees during their secret rituals. Walnuts are associated with love, prosperity, healing, and luck. If someone gifts you with walnuts, your dreams are supposed to come true.

Of course, this is a relatively short list, and there are many other kinds of wood out there. These are the ones that are most commonly used for broomsticks or linked to witchcraft (or both), but if you have a favorite kind of tree or something native to your region (like mesquite, which is sometimes made into broomsticks in the Southwest), feel free to use it. As with all other Witchcraft, you can choose whatever feels right to you. Broomsticks may be clean and smooth, or you can leave the bark on for more natural character. Broomsticks may also be carved or decorated in various ways.

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broom lore
do not lean a broom
against the bed

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Broomcorn, Birch Twigs,
and Other Bristly Things

Once you have the stick for the shaft of your broom, you have a few choices for the sweeping end. As I mentioned earlier, birch twigs (which are fairly flexible) were commonly used in the past, until they were replaced by broomcorn, which makes a much more effective tool. Sometimes sotol fiber, which comes from the yucca, is used on the inside of the broom, where it doesn’t matter as much. There are plastic brooms, of course, but not only do they not work as well as those with natural fibers, you definitely wouldn’t want to use a plastic broom for magickal work. (Following a nature-based spiritual practice means using natural materials as much as possible.)

Here are a few of the choices and a few reasons to use them.

Broomcorn

This is probably the easiest material to work with if you are making a broom from scratch, and it’s the easiest to find if you are buying one ready-made. There are a number of online sources for brooms intended for magickal use, and you can get a broom with the broomcorn dyed in different colors, attached to carved wood sticks, in various sizes, etc. My favorite place to buy Pagan supplies is AzureGreen.com, and they have a number of lovely brooms to choose from.

Broomcorn has no particular magickal associations that I know of, but it is a natural plant and therefore will have its own innate energy. If you want to, you can actually grow your own broomcorn, assuming you have space to do so. Sorghum is an annual grass that will grow from seeds in most parts of the country, although it prefers a long, hot summer. Because it can reach between eight and twelve feet in height, make sure to plant it somewhere it can grow unimpeded. Otherwise, you can get broomcorn online or from a craft supplier. Because it is flexible and attractive, broomcorn can also be used to make wreaths, wall hangings, and other decorative projects.

Birch Twigs

Birch twigs are the most traditional bristle to use in magickal brooms, and brooms made with them will often be called by the old name of besom. You can collect the twigs yourself or buy a specialty besom from a magickal shop, but you are unlikely to be able to buy a birch twig broom in any regular stores. Some craftspeople still make brooms in the traditional way, if you are lucky enough to find them.

Birch has long been used for purification rituals in many different cultures, and it is also used in protection and exorcism. A besom made with birch twigs will have the traditional round, irregular shape of the brooms our ancestors used.

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A handmade rosemary besom with a cornhusk handle

Herbs and Other Natural Fibers

You can also use any woody, tough herb for your broom bristles, especially one intended for magickal or decorative use instead of actual sweeping. Straw, reeds, cornhusks, and other natural fibers were used in the days before broomcorn, and anything that grows naturally in your area and is sturdy enough can be substituted for broomcorn or birch twigs. Tough herbs like rosemary are especially nice, and their pungent aroma will perfume your ritual space. Rosemary is a strongly protective herb and is also used for healing, love, and cleansing magick.

Willow

Willow is the traditional material used to bind the bristles to the wooden shaft of the broom. Willow is sacred to the goddess and also strongly protective and used in love magick. If you don’t have willow, you can always substitute strong twine or thin, flexible wire.

Cinnamon Brooms

Cinnamon brooms are not made from huge pieces of cinnamon, as you might suspect. Instead, cinnamon oil and cinnamon sticks are added to a regular broom (made of either broomcorn or birch twigs). You can do this with a broom you make from scratch or one you buy for the purpose, and it can be a fun craft project to do with a coven, your kids, or by yourself.

You can also find cinnamon brooms in stores, especially around the winter holiday time, if you just want to buy one ready-made and consecrate it for magickal use. But it is so easy to make one of your own—why not create a cinnamon broom that has your own energy embedded right in it?

Cinnamon is a powerful spice, and it has an equally powerful smell. I find some store-bought cinnamon brooms overwhelming (too much cinnamon oil or an artificial scent instead of the real thing). If you make one yourself, you can control how much cinnamon scent there is, as well as add any other herbs or adornments you want.

A cinnamon broom can be a pleasant-smelling symbol of your life as a witch, purely decorative, or a charming gift for a fellow Pagan on a special occasion such as a birthday, a wedding, or a housewarming. It also can be a powerful tool to use in ritual or hang in a prominent place in your home for protection.

Cinnamon is one of those good-for-almost-everything spices. It is associated with love, healing, protection, spirituality, sexuality, psychic ability, success, and power in general. Who wouldn’t want a broom with all that?

The scent itself is warm, welcoming, and evocative; it reminds us of hot apple pie, mulled cider, and baking cookies. And it is easy to find, available in grocery stores, craft shops, health food stores, and online. Personally, I find that the best (and least expensive) cinnamon sticks and powdered cinnamon come from the bulk bins at my local health food store. The oil can be ordered from a reputable Pagan supplier or picked up at a craft store or cooking supply shop. Just make sure that you are getting genuine cinnamon oil, not a fragrance oil (which is artificial and won’t hold the power of the real thing).

Because cinnamon brooms are spiritual and protective, they can be used to cleanse your ritual space before you begin working or hung by the entrance to your home to keep negativity at bay. If you are starting a new business or trying to give a boost to an existing one, a cinnamon broom can help draw in luck and success. They also make great wedding gifts for a couple just beginning their life together.

It is very easy to make your own cinnamon broom. You can start with a store-bought broom or make your own (following the instructions in the next chapter). Then you will need the following ingredients:

Note: As with most magickal tools, you will probably want to bless and consecrate your cinnamon broom for the work you intend it to do. You can either bless the cinnamon itself before you start or the entire broom once it is completed.

The project only takes a few minutes, although it will take a couple of stages over two or more days. Take the broom and place the bristle end on the waxed paper. Spread the glue in a thin layer over one side of the bristles, and sprinkle it with some of the powdered cinnamon. If you are sensitive to strong smells (or live or practice with those who are), you may want to start with a small amount, and then add more later if necessary.

Place the broom head in the plastic bag overnight to dry and soak up the scent, then repeat on the other side. If desired, you can also sprinkle some cinnamon essential oil over the broom to intensify the smell (in which case, put it back in the bag overnight to absorb the oil) or glue or tie on whole cinnamon sticks, other herbs (make sure their scents don’t clash with the cinnamon), and any ribbons or decorations you wish to add.

If your broom starts to lose its oomph, you can always add a few more drops of cinnamon oil later.

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broom lore
to cure a wart, measure it crosswise with a broomstraw and then bury the straw; as the broomstraw decays, the wart will vanish

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Anointing Oil and Herbs

As with any other magickal tool, your broom can be blessed and consecrated. This is a fairly simple ritual, for the most part. I usually use salt, water, incense or sage, and candles to represent earth, water, air, and fire, as well as a candle for the goddess and god. I sprinkle the magickal tool with salt and water, waft the incense or sage wand over it, and hold it—carefully—over the flame of the candle. Then I ask the god and goddess to bless the tool and the magickal work I do with it. Easy peasy! (Of course, you want to do this in sacred space and with intent and focus. There are detailed instructions for consecrating your magickal broom at the beginning of chapter 8.)

But for an added boost, I sometimes use an anointing oil or a specific essential oil or herb to imbue the object with a specific purpose. For instance, if I am using a candle for success magick, I will probably anoint it with an oil that contains peppermint or basil, since both are good for prosperity.

In fact, I used to make magickal oils and sell them at shows and a friend’s store, and my cabinet of magickal supplies still has a shelf filled with tiny bottles of prosperity oil, healing oil, love oil, and more. They’re a handy magickal tool to have around, and you might want to consider making some of your own. If you don’t want to take the time or invest in dozens of bottles of (sometimes pricey) essential oils, you can also buy some very nice premade magickal oils from reputable shops and online sources.

Or you can simply buy a few individual essential oils, bless and consecrate them for magickal work, and use one oil instead of a combination. Just remember to use quality essential oils (never fragrance oils, which are artificial and therefore have none of the power of the plants’ actual essence). It is better to have a small bottle of something expensive (like rose or chamomile) and use it sparingly than to have a large bottle of something that doesn’t smell as good or work as well. My favorite essential oils, which are both great quality and reasonably priced, come from the aptly named Nature’s Alchemy company (www.naturesalchemy.com).

These are my favorite combinations to use for magickal anointing oils—they work on tools, candles, or even in a soothing bath. You can also use any individual oil listed. As always, different witches have different preferences, and there are many more herbs that are useful for adding power to magickal items. (Don’t take any essential oils internally unless they are specifically labeled as safe for consumption. Some oils, like peppermint, are regularly used in cooking, but many are too strong to ingest.)

Energy, Strength, and Courage: cinnamon, ginger, lemon, orange

Healing: calendula, lavender, lemon balm, rosemary

Love: geranium, lavender, lemon, rose

Peace and Happiness: bergamot, chamomile, geranium, lavender, lemon balm

Prosperity: basil, bergamot, cinnamon, peppermint

Protection and Purification: geranium, lemon, rosemary

Psychic Ability and Conscious Mind: chamomile, ginger, lavender, peppermint

Remember that if you don’t have the herbs available in essential oil form, you can use them fresh or dried. You can see that I have a fairly small list of oils that I use in different combinations. That makes things a bit easier and cheaper. Some oils, like rose, are very expensive, so I may use only one or two drops of that, and more of something that is less pricey.

You may want to start with one drop of each and see what you think, then add more. Remember, you want the oil to smell good as well as add power. My usual rule of thumb is to use nine drops of oil total, since that is a powerful magickal number. You can use any base oil you wish. I often use olive oil because I always have it around, but keep in mind that it goes rancid faster than some other oils like jojoba. Sesame oil is also nice and easy to find.

If you are making an anointing oil specifically for a broomstick, you may want to melt a little bit of beeswax and then add the anointing oil. Smooth this on the handle of the broomstick before the first time you use it or anytime you feel it needs an energetic boost or a little more attention. It is great to do this under the full moon if you can.

As always, use the oils or herbs that seem right to you. There is no wrong choice or combination, as long as you listen to your inner wisdom.

Useful Tips

A few commonsense tips for caring for your magickal broom:

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broom lore
if you put a broom across a doorway, it will allow your deceased friends and family to speak to you

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real witches,
real brooms:

Raven Digitalis

it seems to me that the most common use of the besom in Neopagan Witchcraft is to symbolically cleanse and purify a ritual space. The temple and coven that I belong to does not utilize the broom on a solely magickal level nearly as much as we do other tools, often reserving the besom as a decorative piece such as above a doorway, where it dually purifies.

We do, however, utilize the besom at the conclusion of any private or public handfasting that my priestess and I perform; the couple jumps the broom to symbolize a sweeping away of the past and auspiciously jumping into a new future of partnership.

When it comes to the practical magick of everyday household cleaning, I always use a separate broom because the terrestrial energy of dirt and grime and kitty litter instantly becomes affixed to the bristles when cleaning the house. Because I aid in cleaning a temple, I often make sure to sprinkle particular magickal herbs, usually ground to a fine powder, before I sweep or vacuum an area. I’ll sprinkle some lavender if luck is needed, some hyssop to dissolve negativity, some peppermint to attract abundance, and so on.

This process reminds of me the magickal floor washes used in Hoodoo and is an activity that generates an extra magickal boost while performing ordinary cleaning. It helps bring the practitioner’s attention to the spiritual cleansing process that can occur simultaneously with everyday broom usage. Sweeping then becomes an act of mindfulness and meditation rather than frantic cleaning.

Whenever I use a broom for mindful household cleaning, it brings to mind images of Jains sweeping the ground before them as they walk, in order to avoid harming insects. One of the main principles of the Eastern religion of Jainism is nonviolence, which includes the attempt to never take or negatively affect even the smallest life form. Much like Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs, the Jains believe in the cycle of Samsara: the repetitive and karmic cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that is linked directly to our actions and ethics from lifetime to lifetime. To Jains, the use of the broom is both a symbolic and a practical method of clearing the path before oneself in order to free oneself from cyclical suffering.

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Raven Digitalis

author of Shadow Magick Compendium
and Goth Craft

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