Make A Besom with Tamare

With Musefest ~ A Samhain and Harvest Experience right around the corner, we are readying ourselves for “The Witch Dance” activity! Everyone is welcome to dance with us but you will be needing  a broom to do so! One of the most popular icons of the holiday is the an old witch & her broom, or more appropriately called, a besom.

The besom is a sacred tool used within the modern practice of witchcraft. Magically speaking, it is a symbol of fertility and sexuality. Often having a handle made of ash, a head of birch twigs, with willow bindings. The ash is a wood associated with masculinity, fire and love. The birch is a wood associated with femininity, protection and cleansing. The besom takes the two and becomes a symbol of their uniting as one. This is one of the reasons why the besom is traditionally used for handfasting ceremonies where hope for blessings of fertility upon their new union.

This is a tradition borrowed from Celtic & African traditions. People in Appalachia of Scotch-Irish descent still practice this ole tradition. Keeping your besom displayed in the family room or the main door area is a magically affirmation of the commitments made in the marriage, complete with the cords and ribbons tied on from those attending the wedding, offering their best wishes and blessings. A besom kept upright (bristles up) by the front door or on the wall over the fireplace is said to protect everyone who lives within the home by preventing any nasty folks from entering. If your besom falls across the doorway it speaks of company coming! Be mindful though with its use, for instance one should never sweep dirt out the front door or you maybe sweeping your family’s prosperity out too!

Many take their besoms out into the fields at planting time, riding and jumping all around the garden area to show the crops how tall to grow. Witches today use their besoms in a variety of ways. In ritual, it can be used for directing energy; much like the wand is used. Mostly we use them to sweep negativity away from ritual space as preparation, and/or to sweep positivity into the ritual space.

While there are traditional materials used to make besoms, there are crafty witches who make besoms in various sizes out of whatever herbs and other materials available to them, tailored to specific magical purposes, offered by various herbs and trees. Having more than one besom for different uses is a great idea so come on out and make another one just for the dance!

 

Seeing how ‘it’s the season of the witch”, you can find ‘brooms” in many stores right now, in the Halloween aisle.  You can decorate them with ribbons, glitter, stones, paint, the possibilities are endless. You could use a regular household broom instead, or those scented decorated brooms all will work for “The Witch Dance” performance @ 4pm.

Join Tamare @1oam to construct your Besom! Oct 1st