Witch’s Broom

The witch’s broom is an assistant in all matters.

The broom is an attribute of the Priestess and Goddess, whose main function is to sweep. One way or another, a broom is an instrument of a creature standing (or walking) between the worlds – “that” world and this one.

And it had to be handled with care. In the mythological consciousness of people, a broom, creating purity in the house, created purity in the sacred world: it drove out evil forces, evil spirits.

At the same time, in contact with dirt, debris, it itself turned into an instrument of corruption. In addition, the witch could fly into the house, turning into a broom.

If the Slavs and Europeans are characterized by the duality of this symbol, then among the peoples of the Far East, the positive aspect prevails.

For the Chinese, a broom means wisdom, insight and the elimination of all hardships and difficulties. In the interpretation of the Japanese, the broom is a symbol of purification.

Although, the Koreans excelled here. According to their belief, if you use a broom for too long, it can turn into a one-legged demon Tokkebi.

A broom can also be considered as an analogue of a magic staff. Well, since the staves in many traditions were considered to be offshoots of the World Tree, the broom can also be considered as a variation on the theme of the Yggdrasil symbol.

Sometimes a twig from a broom or the whole broom served as a guardian of a woman in labor from evil spirits. To do this, put a rod under the pillows. By placing this broom outside the door, you can protect the house from enemies and thieves.

In the folklore of eastern Europe and northern Italy, a broom placed under the pillow was believed to scare away witches and evil spirits at night. The British believed that the broom lying on the threshold of the house does the same.

Stepping over a broom stick can save a person from anxiety from ghosts. Evil spirits and ghosts can be driven out of a dwelling if it is carefully swept.

In the Greek tradition, at the feast of souls, the shadows of the dead came to visit people’s houses, who were offered refreshments and who were then driven away again, swept with a broom.

In England, there was a belief that if a girl steps over a broom stick, she will give birth to an illegitimate child – here the signs of a broom as a phallic symbol are clearly visible.

In China, you can’t clean altars or statues of gods with a broom (again, it makes sense – both of them – places of power in a single house, and if you sweep out the power from there, then you yourself understand that they will no longer be able to perform their main function).

You can not hit with a broom (especially on the head) – this is tantamount to a serious curse.

If the broom is used for the first time, you need to make a wish and it will definitely come true. That girl who really wants to get married must jump over a broom 9 times and then this year she will definitely get engaged.

The broom was often used in marriage ceremonies. In Germany, a rooster tied to a broom and drunk with vodka was sometimes carried on a dowry wagon to crow. The rooster and broom are symbols that should scare away evil spirits.

In order for a gypsy wedding to take place, the spouses had to jump over a broom.

A similar custom existed in Wales among people who were not gypsies in any way – a birch broom was placed obliquely in the doorway and the groom had to jump into the house on top of it.

If he did not touch either the broom or the lintel, then the young were considered quite officially married.

The broom as a magical tool was used, for example, in Chuvashia, when slandering against the evil eye. The healer must spray a certain number of times through the broom in the face of the patient.

Sorcerers who wanted to harm the cows threw a broom into the barn.

The broom can be used for the same purposes as the crystal ball. If a broom is placed across the door, so that a part goes beyond the threshold, then it will serve as a “path” to the world of the dead, and through this channel one can contact that world.

An interesting ritual is the expulsion of a “stranger” brownie, during which a woman mounted a broom, walked around the yard, whipped the corners with a whip and read a spell.

A broomstick can be used to treat warts. First, the wart is measured with a twig, and then it is buried. The twig will rot, and the wart will disappear.

The broom is successfully used in house cleansing rituals.