The broom or besom has a very special place in Wicca. And more than that, it has more uses than one would think. And no, it is not something that witches can use for transportation! The besom is a symbol of banishing, fertility, and cleansing.

Its earlier use was specifically for Western European fertility rites. These Western European rites are the reason why people think witches ride on their besom. The rites go like this, they straddle their besoms and then jump real high and around crops to encourage them to grow high and abundantly.

As a modern witch, there are many uses for the besom and we will talk about them here:

Banishing at Birth

When you are expecting delivery of a baby in any room of a house, you can place a besom in the same vicinity. Upon delivery, use the besom to do some sweeping around the birth site. The besom is a potent symbol of fertility and doing this will also banish negative energies from the mother and the baby. Doing banishing as early as the day the child is born will benefit the him or her greatly.

Protection Against Bad Spells

If you think that someone is putting a hex on you, place a besom by the entry doorway of your house. This will prevent the black magic from penetrating your house and making its way to you. The besom is a very powerful amulet against black magick. Even if no one is using black magick on you, placing a besom by the door will also protect you and your home from evil spirits. Make sure to place the bristles up and let the shaft hit the floor.

To Protect Against Nightmares

Placing a besom under your bed at night while you sleep will help you sleep peacefully and undisturbed by bad dreams.

To Protect Your Bed When You’re Away

If you are traveling and will be gone for quite some time, place the besom with its bristles facing up on your bed to protect your bed from evil spirits while you are away.

Purifying and Cleansing Before Spell Casting

Use the besom to cleanse your ritual space before performing magick. The power of the besom is it has the ability to cleanse not just a physical space but also a mental and metaphysical space. It will get rid of negative energy buildup and astral build up. In covens, it is very common for a Priest or Priestess to walk clockwise while carrying a besom a little above the ground and perform a sweeping before casting a circle.

Channeling Your Spells

Placing a besom on your altar will help you a lot in your spell casting, especially in channeling and directing energy.

Speaking To The Departed

If you place a besom across the doorway, it will allow you to speak to those who have passed on. So long as the besom is there, they will feel free to communicate with you. So if you wish to talk to a friend or relative who has gone ahead, the besom will make that possible for you.

To Bring Rain

If you bring a besom outside and swing it over your head, this will bring rain for you and your crops.

Here are some tips on buying and using your besom:

1. Avoid buying a besom in May. As the saying goes, “Buy a besom in May, and you will sweep your friends away.”
2. Avoid sweeping after sunset. Superstition says this will chase away happiness.
3. Do not burn a besom.
4. Do not walk over or on a besom.
5. Do not use the besom to sweep the outside of a house.
6. Do not bring old besoms into new homes. Leave the besom behind if you are moving.