Besom

The besom is a broom of twigs bound to a handle, used to sweep a space symbolically before a ritual. It need not actually touch the floor: the gesture aims to clear stagnant energy and prepare the place where the circle will be cast. In European folklore it is linked to protecting the home, to handfastings celebrated by jumping over it and, of course, to the popular image of the witch. It is usually stored bristles upwards and kept for ritual use only, separate from the household broom that is used for everyday cleaning.