Besom is a dialectal or historical
word for what is now known as a broom, a household implement used for sweeping.
The term "besom" is now mostly reserved for a "traditionally
constructed" broom, made from a bundle of twigs tied to a stouter pole. In
Scotland, "besom" (pronounced "bih-zum") may be used to
refer to a particularly annoying person or naughty child. In Ireland, the besom
was sometimes called a "Fairy's Horse."
As
a result of its construction around a central pole, the brush of the besom is
rounded instead of flat. The bristles can be made of many materials including,
but not limited to straw, herbs, or twigs. Traditionally the handle is of hazel
wood and the head is of birch twigs. Modern construction uses bindings of wire
and string and the head is secured by a steel nail instead of a wooden dowel.
The World Tree, which
connects the world of the living and various realms of spirits, can be
identified with the Yggdrasil of Norse Mythology, the Sacred Ash upon which
Odin hung crucified for nine days and nine nights before receiving the Sacred
Runes. It can also be recognized as the May Pole entwined with ribbon in the
Spring.
The
notion of the Halloween witch riding upon a broom also may have been a
misrepresentation of astral projection. As Samhain represents a time when the
veil, the threshold between the world of the living and the realm of the
spirits, is very thin, it is the perfect time for astral projection and
communion with the souls of the dead.
A
besom is one of the tools used in Wicca, essentially a witch's
broomstick. A
traditional Wiccan besom is an ash stave handle with bristles made from birch
twigs. These twigs are tied on using thin pieces of willow wood. Ash
is protective, birch cleansing, and willow is sacred to the Goddess.
It is used to sweep away negative
energy in an area. Similar to smudging, a besom is also used to clear a
designated space. Often, witches would use this to clear a space for a sacred
circle or sweep their homes and hearths.
As a tool, the besom is
usually thought of as masculine in nature due to its phallic shape and
symbolism. However the besom's components are of both masculine and feminine
orientation. The handle, an ash stave, is masculine in nature while the birch
used for the bristles is thought of as feminine in nature.
It historically has been used to protect the home
by laying it across the door. The besom now is an important part of Wiccan handfasting
ceremonies in some traditions. 'Jumping the
broom' symbolizes many children for a newly married couple. Alternatively, the couple
may jump over a small bonfire.
Store your besom with the brush end
up. Traditionally it is stored this way by the door to keep out unwanted
negativity.
You can make a besom out of any
type of herb or tree. Most of the supplies can be found at craft stores or
garden stores where wreath-making and basket-weaving supplies are sold. The
besom is always made from natural products, so try to gather supplies from the
forest with respect. Gather all your
ingredients during the beginning of the waxing moon cycle so you can bless your
finished besom under the light of the full moon.
Ingredients:
1 bundle of
birch brush twigs, about 2-3 feet long (or mugwort or thyme or myrrh)
salt water
bath
1 ash handle,
about 3-4 feet long (or oak or pine or hazel)
3 extra long
zip ties, about 14 inches long
twine (or willow withies or hemp)
Preparation: Whatever you'll be using for the bristles - whether
it's birch, an herb, or some other wood - should be soaked in the warm salt water
overnight to make them pliable. Or at least a few hours. The salt helps cleanse.
Ash is traditionally used in besom
crafting. It represents enduring strength and male energy. Birch is
a feminine wood that represents healing, fertility, purification, and
beginnings. Willow Withies are a tough flexible branch of
an osier or other willow, used for tying, binding or basketry.
-Choose birch brush twigs that are long enough that you don't
have to bend over and strain your back as you sweep. Prepare your handle by
whittling the end to a point and decorating it with carved rune or painted
symbols.
-Take your twine and bind the birch twigs onto the handle. There are a few ways to do this. You can tie sections of
birch twigs together with twine and attach each section to the stick by weaving
them all together around the handle.
Alternately, you can secure a whole
bushel of the birch twigs with zip ties at equal distances apart and then push
the whittled end of the handle through the middle.
-Tie the
birch twigs firmly with twine so the brush will not move. Cut the zip ties off
when you feel it will hold. Trim uneven sections of twigs with
a hand pruner or scissors if needed.
-Charge your
tool and activate the magick within under the full moon light. Let your hands
hover over your besom and allow the universal energy to flow. Recite the
following incantation:
Fashioned in tradition tried and
true,
Light from the moon charge
through and through,
Activate and bring out the
magick within,
Let the clearing and clarity
begin.
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