Besom

Besom is a sweeping tool and is traditionally made of twigs bundled and tied to a stick. The words that are the origin of besom have the same meaning. There are also many cognates that also have the same definition, such as the German word besen. The common word used today is broom which probably comes from the fact that many besoms were made of broom, a variety of shrubs.
To me a besom is a broom crafted with twigs secured around a shaft. They remind me of fall because they are branches without leaves so look like the trees during the fall. Also, growing up I remember decorations during the fall that were either just a besom or a witch holding a besom. The besom is almost as fundamental to the stereotypical depiction of witches as a pointy hat and warty face.
One of the most common uses of the besom in modern Wicca, as well as other forms of paganism, is the sweeping away of negative energies.
When used in this way the besom does not actually have to touch the ground. It is considered to be a tool of both the Goddess and the God; it represents a union of feminine and masculine. I have found varying reasons, from the three parts of the broom representing the three-fold nature of the Goddess to the herbs used in traditional crafting, for its representation of the feminine and link to the goddess. Though, there seems to be common agreement that the phallic nature of the broom is the link to masculinity and the God. It is also linked to the element of water because it is used to cleanse. Besides sweeping away negativity, besoms can also ward it by being hung above a doorway. Besoms are jumped during handfastings to represent, like the crossing of a threshold, a new
beginning.
I have always liked the way that besoms look in fact before I knew the term besom I had thought of them as those-fancy-old-looking-brooms. Now that I have a use for a besom I plan to make one, or several. I will use besoms to guard my room and to brush ritual space.
The besom has been linked to witches for at least 500 years and is still to this day. The beliefs that are held about witches and besoms today, such as witches flying on brooms, are an important reason to know about besoms. Furthermore it is important to know the term besom because it is a commonly used tool in pagan practice.
Misconceptions of this word probably have to do with its relation to witches, what it actually represents to them. As well as generally not being aware of the word because it has been replaced by the term broom. Most of us have had many interactions with a broom and it is not often thought that a common use tool would have a name that we don’t know.
A besom is a term for a sweeping tool, which is commonly known as a broom today. A besom is constructed of twigs tied to a shaft. The besom has many traditions and is commonly used in the cleansing of places.