Brooms for Special Occasions
Brooms can be created to mark any number of special occasions, either for yourself or as gifts for others. The most obvious time to use a special-occasion broom would be a handfasting, since “jumping the broom” is a traditional part of many Pagan wedding ceremonies, and a new broom (especially a magickal one filled with good wishes for love, harmony, and protection) is the perfect gift for a couple just starting their new lives together.
There are other occasions that can be commemorated with a specially created broom, too. Here are a few suggestions, but feel free to come up with your own. For instance, you could give your favorite witch a decorated broom for her birthday or make one for yourself to celebrate a major landmark such as turning fifty, getting a job you really wanted, or leaving a bad relationship. Or make one just for fun!
A handfasting broom
Handfasting
If you are making the broom for your own handfasting, you and your partner should work on it together, being mindful as you work and imbuing the broom with all your love and passion and dreams for your future together.
If creating the broom (either on your own or with a group of friends) for another couple, concentrate as you are working and try to put into the broom both your love for the couple and their love for each other. Remember all the times you have seen the couple having fun and being in love, and put all your good wishes for their future together into the broom as you make it.
Handfasting brooms typically will be given to the couple for use in their actual ceremony and then taken into their home. If possible, create a broom that will fit into the planned ceremony—if you know the details, such as the color theme or whether it will be formal or casual—and into the couple’s home design. If you don’t know enough, just do the best you can; I’m sure they’ll love it!
You may want to surprise the couple with the broom, which is fine, but consider that many brides (and some grooms) like to know exactly what is going to happen on the day of the handfasting. If the recipients of the broom you are making like surprises, then a last-minute gift is probably a wonderful idea.
Otherwise, it might be best simply to let the couple know you are planning to supply the broom. After all, it would be awkward to turn up with something you’d labored over for hours, only to discover they’d made their own or gone out and bought one.
A handfasting broom is a lovely gift to create with a number of the couple’s other friends or family if they are Pagan friendly. That way, lots of great energy gets put into the broom. For those who might not be comfortable with the magickal aspects, you can remind them that the use of brooms in handfasting rituals goes far back into history. It’s tradition!
Decorations can include ribbons (again, in colors that suit the couple’s color scheme or décor, or white is always appropriate), fresh or dried flowers (fresh ones will probably have to be replaced after the ceremony or simply removed), and symbols that represent marriage and union such as rings, hearts, doves, a house, male and female symbols (or male/male, female/female if it is a nontraditional couple), etc. The couple’s names or initials and the date of the handfasting can be carved or drawn on in permanent ink on the handle.
You can also draw, burn, or carve runes that symbolize good wishes for the couple: Gifu (partnership and union, gifts), Uraz (strength, changes), Fehu (prosperity, fulfillment), Wunjo (joy, success), Eolh (friendship, protection), and Beorc (new beginnings, birth)—especially if the couple wishes to have children. (See appendix for rune symbols.)
If the gathering is going to be reasonably small, everyone present on the day of the handfasting can sign their names on the handle for a special remembrance. If you’re going to do this, make sure to bring a number of permanent markers, perhaps in pretty colors.
At the wedding of one of my coven-sisters, a member of the group gave the couple a large unglazed plate that everyone there signed, and then it was glazed so that the signatures would be permanent. The plate was decorated with drawings of flowers and such, and it hangs on Robin and George’s wall to this day.
This makes for a wonderful keepsake of a special day and will be imbued with the energy and good wishes of all who sign it.
Remember that a handfasting broom should be suitable for the couple using it, and also sturdy enough to actually be used in the ceremony. Don’t make a funky, ancient-looking broom for a couple who prefers the modern touch, and don’t make something so delicate and beautiful that laying it on the ground will destroy it!
You can anoint the broom with any magickal oil that is suitable, such as oils that are for love, protection, peace, and so on. Just make sure you don’t use any scents that one of the couple is allergic to. If you’re not sure, you can carve or draw rune symbols to represent those intentions instead, and also gift the couple with a decorative vial or bottle of anointing oil at the time you give them the broom, and let them do the anointing once they have brought the broom home.
If you aren’t going to be at the handfasting itself (or if there isn’t a formal one because the couple chooses to do something simple with a couple of witnesses), it is still a lovely gift to give to any new couple.
To use a broom during a handfasting ritual, the broom should be blessed and consecrated first, if possible (see the beginning of the next chapter). If desired, the broom can be placed across the entrance to the circle as a sign of protection once everyone has entered.
Most commonly, the broom is placed either before, next to, or leaning on the altar during the main part of the ritual. Once the couple has said their vows to each other, they then jump over the broom together, hands clasped, to signify their entering into a new life together. I have seen it done with the broom lying flat on the ground or with two of the participants (such as the maid of honor and the best man) holding the broom a few inches off the ground.
The broom should never be held so high that the couple can’t comfortably jump it. If the bride is wearing a long or heavy dress, the broom should simply be placed on the floor.
broom lore
as sure comes your wedding day,
a broom to you I will send;
in sunshine use the brushy part, in storm the other end
Housewarming
What better gift for a new home than a new broom? You can give one of the practical ones from the beginning of the chapter (a broom to be used for actual cleaning but with an added magickal boost) or one that is strictly decorative.
If you know the recipients and their new home well, you can match the broom to their décor with colored ribbons, dried flowers, etc. If you aren’t sure what colors would be best, then you may want to stick with a neutral color scheme and natural elements like acorns and nuts for prosperity and abundance, a few small sprigs of rosemary for protection, and maybe a small rose quartz or amethyst crystal for peace and love.
It is always nice to personalize the broom. You can carve or ink on the broomstick handle the names of all those who will be living in the house, the date they are moving in, or add something else that is representative of the person or people the broom is for. (For instance, I have close friends whose last name is Fox. I am always finding cool things for them that have little foxes or fox faces on them.)
Along with the broom, you may wish to give a nicely decorated container of magickal cleansing water or oil. You can also refer them to the spring cleaning ritual in the next chapter.
If you know ahead of time which room they will be keeping the broom in, you can always match the broom’s theme to the space where it will reside. For instance, a kitchen broom might have some dried herbs such as rosemary, mint, thyme, cinnamon sticks, star anise (which actually comes in the shape of a star and has a pleasant, slightly licoricelike aroma), and a few vanilla pods.
Note: Make sure that any herbs or flowers you use smell nice when placed together. No matter how lovely some things smell on their own, they may clash horribly when combined with others. Test them together before fastening to the broom.
For a bedroom, you may want to use a romantic theme, with ribbons to match the colors of the room, dried rosebuds, and some sprigs of lavender. You can also attach a rose quartz or amethyst crystal for love and harmony. A smaller sized, pleasantly scented broom might make a nice housewarming gift for someone’s bathroom.
A housewarming broom is another gift that can be made with other friends or members of the recipient’s family or spiritual community. As with the handfasting broom, everyone creating the gift would concentrate on endowing the housewarming broom with all their positive feelings and wishes for the new home and those who live within it.
Write a house blessing on a parchment scroll (or print it out on some of the parchment-look printer paper now available), roll it up, tie it with a ribbon, and hang it from the broom. Here is one from my book Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook:
God and Goddess
Bless this house
That it might be full of laughter
That it may invite friendship
That it may support love
That it may shelter those who live here
That it may protect all those within its walls
That it may be a refuge for all who need it 7
That it may be sacred space for the spirit
May its walls be strong and its roof sturdy
May it be safe from the dangers of man and nature
May it be resistant to negativity
From within and without
May joy fill all its spaces
From this day forth
So mote it be
A housewarming broom can be given or even created during a housewarming party, in which case it can also be signed by those who attend, much as the handfasting broom could be signed by those attending the ceremony.
If there are children living in the house, you might want to let each one pick something small to add to the broom, or place an item on the broom especially for them (the child’s name or initial on a ribbon, for instance, or something representing their interests: a tiny doll, plane, animal, etc.).
broom lore
a broom placed outside the door will ward off evil
New Baby
There are few occasions more joyous than the arrival of a new baby (or a new child, if the parent or parents are adopting). Some Pagans celebrate with a ritual known as a Wiccaning, which takes the place of the more common Christening. In the case of a Wiccaning, the child is not dedicated to any particular religion (since in general, witches tend to leave that decision up to the child as he or she matures), but rather is a way of welcoming the new baby into the community.
Usually the ritual is attended by the friends and family of the baby’s parents (even those who are not particularly Pagan may come to something done in the child’s name), and gifts are given to the child that represent the good wishes of those attending. Often these are more symbolic than practical (instead of a rattle or a bib, the child may be given a scroll to represent wisdom or a small protective goddess statue). A broom created specifically for the child would make a lovely and unusual keepsake.
A broom that celebrates a new child either can be focused solely on the child or can include both the infant and its parents. The broom you create will probably have a different look depending on whether it is a family broom that will be hung in the main part of the house or strictly a baby’s broom that is intended to be hung in the nursery or the child’s room. It is probably best to have some idea of which one you’re going to make before you start gathering your supplies.
A broom for a new baby
A broom that celebrates the arrival of a new baby can be decorated with baby-themed items such as rattles, tiny teddy bears, a small rubber ducky, teething rings, a miniature rocking horse, or other such things. You can even purposely design it so that the items can be taken off and used, if you really want to be practical.
Alternately, the broom can be decorated with items that go with the design of the baby’s room. This could be a sports theme, stars and moons, flowers, animals, or anything else that fits the room, the parents’ tastes, or even the child’s name. (A child named Rose, for instance, would be pretty easy to create a magickal broom for!)
Another traditional use of a broom honoring a new baby is as a form of blessing and protection to be hung in the child’s room. For this type of broom, you would probably want to put the child’s name on the broom and then add adornments that have protective properties such as a charm bag with a red jasper or black onyx stone, a container of salt, and protective herbs such as rosemary, sage, basil, or garlic. You could buy or make a protective charm or rune and hang that off the broom as well.
Like the housewarming broom, you could also write a blessing for the child on a scroll and attach it to the broom. If you have nice handwriting (or know someone who can do calligraphy), it is always best to write it out by hand, but if necessary you can print out something fancy on the computer, using nice paper. Here is a baby blessing from Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook:
Bless this child
A gift from the universe for us to hold and treasure
But belonging only to himself and to the gods
Let him be surrounded by light and love
Let him be protected and safe
Let him be healthy and strong
Let him learn and grow and thrive
And follow the path that is his with joy
May those around him love and like him
May those around him encourage and support him
May those around him nurture and appreciate him
May those around him help him
to become his own best self
We welcome this child into our family
We welcome this child into our community
We welcome this child into our world
And give thanks for the gift of this new life
Remember that this kind of broom can be used anytime a child joins a family. If possible, the broom should be hung on the wall in the baby’s room. If desired, it can be anointed with magickal oils for protection, health, healing, and love.
Celebration of Life
Witches are well aware of the never-ending cycle of life. This applies to the seasons and the moon, but it is also at the core of how we look at our lives as human beings. Many of us believe that everything—ourselves included—is part of a cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth.
What this means in a broader sense is that we don’t necessarily look at death as the end—more as another turn of the great Wheel. And therefore, while we mourn the loss of those we love and grieve for the empty space they leave behind in our lives, we also know that the passing of a loved one isn’t solely a time for sadness. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the life of the one we’ve lost as they take their place in the light.
Pagans often hold passing-over rituals instead of funerals, at which the person’s life—and the way they touched those they shared that life with—are celebrated with reverence and mirth. What better time to create a memorial broom in the loved one’s memory?
There are a number of ways a memorial broom can be created. If a Pagan is dying and knows it but still has a little time and energy toward the end, his friends can assist in the creation of a broom that has everything on it the dying person desires. He can choose the symbols that have meaning to him and imbue the broom with some last bit of his essence.
This can be an extremely meaningful and empowering endeavor, allowing the dying person to have a say in what he leaves behind. At a time when most things are out of our control, this act of creation can be a great gift for a friend, coven-mate, or loved one.
Even if the person is not strong enough to do anything other than hold the broom handle, he can direct those helping with the crafting of the broom and instruct them in how he wishes it to be put together. He can also say who he would like to keep the broom after he is gone.
A memorial broom can also be crafted for someone who died suddenly or who might not have had any inclination to make such a thing for herself. You can gather together the deceased person’s friends and family (even if some of them are not Pagan, they may welcome the invitation to participate—use your best judgment when trying to figure out who might wish to take part in the crafting of the broom), and everyone can bring something to add to the broom that represents the dead/dying person.
This “something” may vary greatly from person to person, with a sister contributing a cherished childhood memory and a lover some secret joke that had never been shared with the rest of the world. Creating the broom in such a way, in the midst of sorrow and merriment, will give everyone who participates a precious glimpse into areas of a cherished one’s life and allow everyone to share both their grief and their love.
You might be surprised by how healing such a task can be. If you are going to organize a memorial broom-making get-together, you will want to decide ahead of time whether or not to create the broom inside a ritual circle with a formal rite (in which case you will probably want to limit those invited to folks who are comfortable with Witchcraft) or make it a more casual event.
Do you want to make a party out of it or are the people who are coming more likely to need something more solemn? Be sure you are clear about what will be happening when you invite people, and specify what, if anything, you want them to bring with them. If you have access to a number of the deceased person’s belongings, you may want to sort through them and pick out some items beforehand that would be suitable for folks to add to the broom.
Another approach is to create a memorial or life celebration broom during a passing-over ceremony. If doing so, you will want to keep the process simple and relatively brief, and let people know ahead of time that they are welcome to bring something, even if it is just a small token that reminds them in some way of their lost loved one.
Alternately, you can provide small scrolls of parchment or other fancy paper, and hand out pens so that each participant can write a message to the deceased person. This type of broom is sometimes thrown into a bonfire during the ceremony, and the smoke from the fire is believed to carry the message to the spirit being celebrated.
People can choose whether they want to share their messages aloud or not. If you are going to be burning the broom, you may wish to make it a little smaller, and make sure that everything on it is natural and will burn (no plastic or metal, for instance). This is a perfect occasion to put together or buy a traditional besom with birch twigs.
Appropriate items to place on a memorial broom include ribbons in black and white, in the deceased person’s favorite colors, or everyone participating can choose to bring a ribbon of whatever color he or she chooses. Rosemary is the traditional herb associated with remembrance, but you can also use roses for love, lavender for peace, or the person’s favorite herbs and flowers.
A picture of the deceased person is also a nice touch, as are symbols to represent their interests and accomplishments in life. Was the person good at sports or loved to watch football? Try hanging a tiny football, skateboard, or whatever. If they flew, use a plane. If they were crafty…well, you get the idea.
You can also use pictures of the people or pets they loved; anything that represents who they were and what they valued during life will work. Representations of the god or goddess and other magickal symbols are also suitable. You can write on ribbons or parchment your wishes for a speedy journey to their next life or a peaceful rest, or just write down how much you love and miss them. This broom, more than any other, should come from the heart (or hearts, if many people are working on it).
Make sure that you know ahead of time who will have custody of the finished broom if you are not burning it during a passing-over ritual. If more than one person wants it, you can make multiple brooms or share possession, having the broom make a yearly round from one friend to another, for instance, or if there are three siblings, each could have it for four months and then pass it on to the next. The last thing you want to do is fight over a memorial broom!
Needless to say, you can also create a memorial broom for any pets you have lost and wish to remember in some concrete way. You can decorate them with a picture of the animal, a collar, or some favorite toys.
broom lore
if a wife sweeps a circle around her husband, he will stay true
Coven Dedication
The beginning of a new coven is a very special time indeed, as is the formal dedication of a coven that has been practicing together for some time. Many groups choose not to officially dedicate as a coven until they have been practicing together for a year and a day. In this case, the entire coven would work on the broom together, putting in their energy and the intention to practice in perfect love and perfect trust.
Everyone in the group can etch his or her name onto the handle, or you can tie on ribbons on which people have written their names and any symbols that seem appropriate. (This can be useful if someone leaves the coven, as often happens. Then you simply remove the ribbon that bears their name, thus removing their energy from the group’s ceremonial broom.)
A coven broom may also bear the name or symbol of the group. For instance, my coven is called Blue Moon Circle; we might have a broom with a full moon carved on it and then colored blue, or write out the name in full.
Each coven member might wish to add (either to the handle or hanging on or glued to the broom itself) some symbol of themselves or their magickal practice: moon and stars, a cauldron or chalice, a tiny athame, a representation of their familiar or power animal, a small tarot card if they are a reader, and so on.
You could even make a miniature Book of Shadows to hang from a ribbon around the base of the handle, where it meets the bristles. Inside this Book of Shadows, each member can write a spell, their magickal name, a bit of magickal lore, or glue in a piece of their favorite herb or flower. (This mini book can either be purchased or handcrafted by the group. For more detailed instructions, check out the craft section of my book Witchcraft on a Shoestring.)
A coven broom that is created together by all the members of the group can be a very powerful tool, holding as it will the energy of all those who made it. It should be blessed and consecrated, and perhaps anointed with a magickal oil that promotes peace, harmony, friendship, and protection.
Make sure that you have agreed ahead of time where the broom will be kept. As the high priestess of Blue Moon Circle and the person at whose house we usually gather, it is expected that our shared group tools will stay at my place. (Individual tools are taken home by their owners, of course.)
If your coven has two leaders (a high priest and a high priestess, for instance) who don’t share a residence, one or the other of them should be responsible for the coven broom. Alternately, if there is no one person who is usually in charge of group tools, you may want to have the broom travel from home to home, bringing its positive energy with it.
We once did that with a Yule log: each member had it for a month—from one full moon to the next—and spent that time adding her own particular touches to it and letting it soak up the energy of her home. The member who had it would then bring it to the next full moon ritual and hand it off to another person in the coven. In the end, we had a truly magickal symbol of the season that we kept for years, until it was finally burned to make room for a new one.
As you can see, there is no limit to the kind of broom you can create or the purpose it will serve in your magickal life. Whether you choose to have one broom that stays tucked away in a closet except when you pull it out for rituals or any number of decorative brooms that hang over your mantle, near the front door, or propped up next to your altar, as a modern witch your broom will serve you as well as its ancestors served the witches who came before you.
And that is a kind of magick, too.
real witches,
real brooms:
Mickie Mueller
i have several magical brooms that I use in different ways. My ritual broom is an old-fashioned rustic-style handmade broom that I’ve had for years. I’ve used it in both coven and solitary rituals. The coven I was in years ago used it several times for initiations.
We decorated the handle with ivy and laid it on the ground at the gateway before casting our circle for a big initiation ceremony. We lifted the broom to open the circle so the initiates could walk beneath the broom; it created a beautiful gateway to pass under. That broom hangs right by my front door. It guards the gateway to my home, and I use it to sweep and purify the area before I do my rituals.
I have several brooms that I use for magical decorations in a similar fashion to the way people display wreaths. I have quite a few cinnamon brooms that I picked up at a craft store. Several of these decorated brooms are used instead of wreaths on my front door for some of the sabbats.
My sabbat brooms are decorated using herbs and symbols of the season. My favorite cinnamon broom hangs on the door of my art studio. It’s decorated with a welcoming message, whimsical paintbrushes and paint tubes, god and goddess images, and herbs for maintaining the positive energy of the room and boosting creativity.
Because the broom is a symbol of combined male and female energy, it’s the perfect guardian for the studio. My husband and I are partners in the art business: I’m the creative partner and he’s the practical partner. My studio broom is full of magic and is a wonderful blessing for our creative space.
Mickie Mueller
artist, writer, lecturer • fantasy and
fairy art of myth and legend •
www.mickiemuellerart.com
7. Leave out this line if they might not want to be a refuge