Sunday, August 2, 2009

Flying High...

I have an affinity for brooms of all shapes and sizes...
I collect the decrepit, broken and used-to-a-nub castoffs that other people throw away...

To me, a broom symbolizes an object of cleansing, protection and projection...
a well-worn broom shows me that the past owner
used her broom frequently,
that she kep a tidy home and, perhaps, had 'other' uses for it as well
(like chasing children from the kitchen, where by they could be harmed by the cook-fire)
I never leave home without mine!!
I wear a pewter besom on a black cord around my neck....
especially when I'm travelling to shows!!
I have a bumper sticker on my van that reads
'My Other Car is a Broom'
(LOL)

a small collection of early brooms in my keeping room...
the small broom to the far left was a child's broom, and show not only signs of
hours of play, but also has scorched ends!



my besom, which resides in my den...
I use this broom to sweep my farmhouse
(psycichally and physically)
and keep it near our woodstove for the ashes!!



a broom, straw end up, stands vigil against negativity
at the front door of my shop...
Welcome!
The information below,
was found on Wikipedia: ~
Brooms have long been connected with witchcraft,
almost universally portrayed
as medieval-style round brooms and associated with female witches.
Despite the association with women, in 1453,
the first known case of claiming to have flown on a broomstick is recorded,
confessed by the male witch Guillaume Edelin.[2]

Anecdotally,
the broom served another purpose during periods of persecution...
Witches and other magic practitioners would disguise their wands
as broom sticks to avoid suspicion.


Today the broom is included in lists of ritual tools in many books,
where it is often referred to as a besom.

A broom is sometimes laid at the opening of some covens' rossets.
Representing the Element of Air, brooms are utilized in the purification of areas.
They are used to sweep ritual circles clean of negative energy.
The high priestess or high priest walks clockwise,
traces the cast circle and sweeps with the broom a few inches off the ground.

This practice can be used in addition to or in place of incense to purify a ritual space. It is often employed by those allergic to incense, and during rituals practiced in smoke-free areas.
It is also a technique associated with "kitchen witches" who use what's on hand to work spells.

As a tool of purification, decorative brooms are sometimes hung near doors to cleanse those entering a house.

**Blessed be, my Friends**
~Lori~

So much more to read....