Why?
You’ve seen it everywhere. Stories, movies,
Halloween costumes, the Wizard of Oz. Witches have always flown on
brooms. But do we know why they are said to fly on brooms? I found this
article posted by a page on Tumblr, that explains it really well. I
have been wondering this before, but never really thought about it
enough to want to research it. Then I stumble across this post! It’s
very interesting and I enjoyed reading it. I’m sure you guys will too 💟
***
~The Broom:
—The broom stick was an important
fixture in ancient homes throughout Europe. Most homes were made of
wood, straw and dirt floors. The only way to keep a home clean was to
sweep out the old.
—This concept is even documented in the Bible:
—This concept is even documented in the Bible:
- In Isaiah 14:23 (KJV translation): “I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.”
- In Luke 15:8 “The Parable of the Lost Coin”: “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?”
~One of the earliest forms of the broom is known as the Besom Broom. They were made of twigs tied to a handle. The bristles can be made of various materials such as straw, herbs, or twigs. The shaft is round to represent the branch of a tree. This associates the broom with the Tree of Life which was an important symbol in ancient paganism Europe. Traditionally, a Besom broom is made from hazel wood and the bristles are birch twigs.
—These brooms were often found just inside a dwelling hanging with bristles up to ward off evil spirits, negative energies and to protect the home and all who dwell within it. It could also be found hanging over a door with the bristles facing in the direction of opening of the door.
—They were relatively inefficient as a cleaning implement, and needed constant repair or recreation. Today, Besom Brooms are still crafted and sold at garden centers as an outdoor broom. You can also find decorated and scented versions in craft stores for indoor decorations. (We buy a cinnamon scented one every fall and hang it in the living room. It smells so good!)
—The broom’s relation to sweeping away negative energies and use for protection makes it a wonderful tool for magickal practices and rituals. Consequently, it wasn’t a big leap for European pagans to use the broom as a tool.
~The Witch’s Broom:
—The
traditional Witch’s Broom is made of an ash handle and bristles from
birch twigs. The twigs are tied onto the handle with thin pieces of
willow wood. There have been a few written accounts of early Witches
decorating their brooms with flowers of the season tied on with some
type of decorative string or colored ribbon, a practice that is
continued today by modern Witches.
—Early Celtic pagans associated the broom with Faeries, possibly because of it’s relation to the wood and a common belief in forest sprites. Some stories tell of a Witch entering a forest and asking the Faeries to lead her way to the perfect tree where she can collect a staff for a broom. The idea is to enlist the help of the magickal folk and ensure the enchantment of the broom once it has been fashioned.
—The Witch’s broom is one of the few tools that is seen as a balance of Divine forces. It is both part of masculine energies (the phallic handle) and feminine energies (the bristles). Because of this, the broom was, and still is, commonly used in Handfasting rituals (marriage ceremonies). It is also used as a gate or door before a ritual space. For example, a witch would draw a magickal circle, enter the circle, and then place the broom over the doorway to keep out unwanted energies or people.
—While being used for clearing an area for ritual work was the earliest use for a broom, it became an important tool for Witches during The Burning Times of Europe. During this era, Witches would use a broom to hide one of their most important tools, the wand. It is also a tradition that brooms have been used by some as receptacles to harbor a particular spirit temporarily. This could be done to remove an unwanted spirit from one area and then release it far away in another place. Or it could be used to utilize the energy of a spirit for a specific spell when the broom is used as a wand.
—A few ancient brooms have been discovered to have hidden compartments in the handle. These small hidden places held combinations of herbs, oils, feathers, and a variety of other things thought to be part of a ritualistic spell. The hidden concoctions added to the energy of the intent that the broom was to be used for.
—Early Celtic pagans associated the broom with Faeries, possibly because of it’s relation to the wood and a common belief in forest sprites. Some stories tell of a Witch entering a forest and asking the Faeries to lead her way to the perfect tree where she can collect a staff for a broom. The idea is to enlist the help of the magickal folk and ensure the enchantment of the broom once it has been fashioned.
—The Witch’s broom is one of the few tools that is seen as a balance of Divine forces. It is both part of masculine energies (the phallic handle) and feminine energies (the bristles). Because of this, the broom was, and still is, commonly used in Handfasting rituals (marriage ceremonies). It is also used as a gate or door before a ritual space. For example, a witch would draw a magickal circle, enter the circle, and then place the broom over the doorway to keep out unwanted energies or people.
—While being used for clearing an area for ritual work was the earliest use for a broom, it became an important tool for Witches during The Burning Times of Europe. During this era, Witches would use a broom to hide one of their most important tools, the wand. It is also a tradition that brooms have been used by some as receptacles to harbor a particular spirit temporarily. This could be done to remove an unwanted spirit from one area and then release it far away in another place. Or it could be used to utilize the energy of a spirit for a specific spell when the broom is used as a wand.
—A few ancient brooms have been discovered to have hidden compartments in the handle. These small hidden places held combinations of herbs, oils, feathers, and a variety of other things thought to be part of a ritualistic spell. The hidden concoctions added to the energy of the intent that the broom was to be used for.
~The Flying Broom: (The part we’ve been waiting for!)
—This early association of broom to tree also associates it with the element of air
and therefore, has power over spirits. Thus, it’s common use is a tool
for flying. In both historical and modern images, a female witch can be
found on a broom silhouetted by the full moon behind her.
—Although most associate being a witch with women, it’s a label that applies to both sexes. The first ‘official’ record that documents the claim of flying on a broom stick was recorded in 1453. The claim was made in a confession by a male witch named Guillaume Edelin. There have been earlier documents recanting stories of Witches flying on a variety of sticks. Such as decorated walking sticks, limbs from a tree complete with its leaves, or just a stick alone. These stories include details of magickal flying ointments being applied to these tools in order to give them flight.
—In both ancient Witchcraft and Shamanistic practices, the use of these ointments was most probably what gave the impression of Witch flight. Ointments and potions for flying were most likely a variety of hallucinogens that assisted a Witch in visualizing a flight upon the broom. This is not uncommon for early spiritual journeys. Using peyote and other hallucinogens is well documented and utilized by Native American cultures for spiritual travels.
—These special 'trips' were controlled methods to quickly reach a state of altered awareness. From there, a Witch could astral project with the image of flying on a broom to anywhere within their known Universe. The use by witches of flying ointments was first described, according to known sources, by Johannes Hartlieb in 1456. It was also described by the Spanish theologist, Alfonso Tostado in Super Genesis Commentaria (Venetia, 1507), whose commentary tended to accredit the thesis of the reality of the Witches’ Sabbath.
—Today, using these types of potions and ointments are not recommended or encouraged. Flying journeys instead are suggested through deep meditation and astral projection. These methods are not just safer, but they also provide the practitioner with more control and the ability to remember more of the journey itself.
—Although most associate being a witch with women, it’s a label that applies to both sexes. The first ‘official’ record that documents the claim of flying on a broom stick was recorded in 1453. The claim was made in a confession by a male witch named Guillaume Edelin. There have been earlier documents recanting stories of Witches flying on a variety of sticks. Such as decorated walking sticks, limbs from a tree complete with its leaves, or just a stick alone. These stories include details of magickal flying ointments being applied to these tools in order to give them flight.
—In both ancient Witchcraft and Shamanistic practices, the use of these ointments was most probably what gave the impression of Witch flight. Ointments and potions for flying were most likely a variety of hallucinogens that assisted a Witch in visualizing a flight upon the broom. This is not uncommon for early spiritual journeys. Using peyote and other hallucinogens is well documented and utilized by Native American cultures for spiritual travels.
—These special 'trips' were controlled methods to quickly reach a state of altered awareness. From there, a Witch could astral project with the image of flying on a broom to anywhere within their known Universe. The use by witches of flying ointments was first described, according to known sources, by Johannes Hartlieb in 1456. It was also described by the Spanish theologist, Alfonso Tostado in Super Genesis Commentaria (Venetia, 1507), whose commentary tended to accredit the thesis of the reality of the Witches’ Sabbath.
—Today, using these types of potions and ointments are not recommended or encouraged. Flying journeys instead are suggested through deep meditation and astral projection. These methods are not just safer, but they also provide the practitioner with more control and the ability to remember more of the journey itself.
- author unknown -source:TUMBLR
XoXo,Sonya.
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