For the Young Witch
I have a number of friends and acquaintances who have raised their children as Pagans, including them in rituals whenever appropriate and sharing with them the beliefs, practices, and rich traditions of Witchcraft. It can be tricky raising Pagan children in a non-Pagan world, but those I know have pulled it off beautifully, and their kids have grown up to be amazing adults.
These days, I am watching my coven-sister Robin bring up her children to appreciate nature, stand out under a full moon, and commune with the spirits of the earth, and I am amazed and impressed by how well she does it. Nothing is ever forced on them, nor does it need to be, because children seem to be naturally attracted to this kind of path. Her daughter was calling quarters on her own when she was two, believe it or not.
Those of you who are introducing your own kids to Witchcraft or have included them in your practice for some time already know that children love to be involved in the “craft” part of the Craft. Anytime you can tap into their natural creativity as a part of the learning process, it makes the whole thing fun for everyone involved, including you!
So what better way to introduce broomstick magick to children than to help them create their very own brooms? Obviously, this activity will be different if you do it with a six-year-old than if you have a young teen, so you can make whatever adjustments you need to.
You might want to start by talking about some of the broom’s history and lore. If you have a young child, you might want to find a fun book with a flying witch in it, and then talk a little bit about the difference between make-believe witches and real ones.
Then you can assemble all the supplies and put together your own brooms. For a small child, you may want to use a whiskbroom or make a downsized besom more suitable for the child’s height. This can be done inside a circle, in sacred space, or at the kitchen table or in the middle of the living room, or even outside in the yard if the weather is nice. If you normally practice magickal rituals with the youngster, you can bless and consecrate the broom or brooms together (if you’re making one for yourself at the same time). If not, you can simply hang the broom up in the child’s room or on a wall somewhere in the house.
Feel free to use your imagination when it comes to decorating the broom. I’ve got a few suggestions to start with, but you should definitely add or subtract things according to the age and tastes of the particular child. If you have a “girly girl” like my friend Robin’s daughter, she may want a pink, glittery, princess-themed broom. A child who is attracted to animals may want cat symbols; a budding astronomer might want dangling stars. You can also use items that are already around the house or that you look for together beforehand (shells, for instance, or pine cones).
There is no wrong way to do this. The most important ingredient is fun!
A Magickal Moon and Stars Child’s Broom
What you’ll need:
- a broom (or two, if you’re going to make one). You can make the broom yourself, following the directions in chapter 4, or buy a premade broom at a store or online. This can be anything from a standard whiskbroom to a lovely handmade besom, depending on your tastes and your budget. If possible, get a broom with a thong at the top for hanging, or tie a piece of leather or wire around the top so you can hang it from the wall when you are done. You will want the broom to be hung from the top of the broomstick so the ribbons dangle down. (Depending on the wood the broomstick is made out of, you can also carefully screw in a hook of some kind.)
- ribbons—you’ll want five or six different colors (your choice, but you might want to consider where the broom is going to be hanging after it is done). Use ¾–1-inch-wide ribbons (a ½ inch is probably the smallest you can get away with). It is a good idea to let the child pick his or her own colors. Each ribbon should be long enough to hang most of the way down the bristle section of the broom once tied around the bottom of the handle. (If you have a broom with bristles that are 2 feet long, for instance, you will want ribbons that are about 3½ feet long, so that each half of the ribbon will hang to within a few inches of the bottom edge.)
- colored construction paper (again, you will want a few different colors, preferably ones that coordinate well with your ribbons; if you have dark blue ribbons, you can get light blue paper, and so on)
- shiny paper in gold and silver foil
- scissors (child-safe ones or you can do most of the cutting if necessary)
- white glue
- glitter (optional; you can also buy glitter glue, which is a little more money but a lot less mess)
- star and moon stickers (optional; you can use this in addition to or instead of stars and moons you cut out yourself)
- star and moon stencils (optional if you aren’t comfortable drawing freehand—but remember, this doesn’t have to look perfect)
- natural items like dried herbs or flowers, acorns, small pinecones, shells, pretty rocks, dried leaves, feathers, seedpods, or anything else you want to use (this is a nice excuse to take a walk with your child and look for nature’s gifts or use items you’ve collected on vacations; if you happen to have a Pagan or New Age store nearby, you can also use this occasion to allow the child to pick out something special to add to his or her first broom)
- string or wire to attach some of these items if they are too big or awkward to glue (optional)
- a small ceramic, metal, or glass pentacle to hang from the front (optional)
- a cloth you can put under the broom to catch the mess (this shouldn’t be anything too nice because it will probably get covered with scraps, glitter, etc.)
- star- and moon-shaped cookies (optional, but nice as a reward for a job well done!)
Assemble all your supplies on the cloth, and lay the broom or brooms out flat. Give your child as much help as necessary (older kids won’t need any, probably), but make sure to allow the youngster as much control over the project as possible. After all, it’s his or her first broom!
A moon & stars broom for a child
Tie each ribbon around the broom handle right above where it joins the bristles, so you have two pieces of ribbon hanging down for each piece you use—a loose knot will keep it from slipping. You may want to have each one be a slightly different length or cut the ends off at different heights so that the ribbons are staggered a bit. (This looks better than having them all the same length.)
Cut out moon and star shapes from the paper. Use a stencil or template as needed, or just cut freehand. They don’t have to be perfect. The size you want will vary depending on the size of the broom you are using and the width of the ribbons, but probably anywhere from one to three inches will work well. You can vary the sizes as well as the colors.
Using the glue, attach the moons and stars to the dangling ribbons. You may want to lay them out first to see how they look best. You can also alternate the cut-out paper with stickers. If you are using nature items, you can glue them to the front of the broom, along the front length of the handle, or onto the ribbons. Some larger items may need to be tied on or tucked securely into the bristles.
Hang the pentacle in front, if you are using one. If desired, add glitter or glitter glue to make it really sparkle.
Wait until you are sure the glue has dried, then dangle the broom over the cloth and shake it lightly so anything loose falls off (if necessary, re-glue), then hang up in a place of pride and eat cookies!
Be sure to compliment your child on the great job he or she did (no matter if things are a bit crooked or a few of the stars look more like monsters from outer space). And then maybe start figuring out which fun witchy craft you’ll do together next!
real witches,
real brooms:
Kenny Klein
here is a song, “Corn of Golden Broom,” that I wrote many years ago to use while the maiden sweeps the circle in our tradition. There is a recording of it on my Oak and Ash CD.9
Corn of golden broom
Tied beneath the moon
Ashen handle, oak seed charm
Dance in magic, ward off harm
Weave the circle well
Weave the enchantment well
Sweep the circle well
Sweep the circle well
By the sickle shorn
By the maiden borne
Tread the floor and thread the air
By the spellcraft that you bear
Weave the circle well
Weave the enchantment well
Sweep the circle well
Sweep the circle well
Kenny Klein
www.kennyklein.net
9. The song can be heard at http://kennyklein.net/sweepingsong.mp3.