How to Make a Besom

This provides instruction for assembly of the traditional ash, birch and willow besom. For spell-specific brooms and herbs, see "witch's broom".

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• One length of Ash wood. It should reach from the ground to just below your navel and range from an inch and a half to two and a quarter inches in diameter.
• Birch twigs, as many as you want in your broom. Notes on choosing and length are included below in "tips".
• Thin strips of willow bark, to bind your birch twigs with.
• "Coat Thread" or yarn, to bind the ends of the willow strips. (optional)
• Essential oil of choice.
• Purified warm water.
• Sea salt (optional)

Sacred Tool

1. Work within a sacred area: As with any sacred tool, a besom should be made within sacred space. You should begin as a normal ritual, by casting a circle and giving thanks. Purify and dedicate the wood before you begin construction. 'Charging' the broom to any specific purpose should be done after the broom is completed, or while weaving the twigs to the stave.

2. Place the strips of willow into the water and leave them to soften for at least 10 minutes. The longer you leave them, the easier it will be to work with.

3. Preparing the Handle: Anoint and bless your ash wood stave with the essential oil. Sigil/rune carvings or any other ornamentation of the handle should be done at this point. If the besom is to be dedicated to a specific purpose or deity, you may ask them to bless it as you begin crafting.

4. Weaving the bristles: Gather all of your birch twigs and arrange them into small, even groups. Remove two pieces of the willow bark and lay them side by side on a flat surface. Tie the two bark pieces together by wrapping a short length of thread around the end several times and knotting it off. Take the first group of birch twigs and crisscross the willow strips back and forth between each piece to bind them together (this is weaving). Tie off the other end of the willow strips with thread. Do not worry, the thread will not show in the finished broom. Repeat with the remaining groups of birch twigs. The thread may be omitted, but it makes the weaving considerably more difficult.

5. Attaching to the broom: There are multiple ways to do this. Some drill a small hole in the end of the ash stave and thread yarn through it, then wrap the yarn around each bundle of twigs. A second method is to tie together each willow strip so that the birch twigs form one continuous panel. The panel is then wound tightly around the end of the stave, and secured by tying additional willow bark around it.A third method is to wrap each small group of twigs directly to the handle with yarn or thread.Whatever your method, you will want to "finish" the broom by weaving an additional two inch swath of willow bark about one inch from the top of the bristles. Some traditions attach small charms, or weave herbs and sea salt in amongst the bristles before attaching the "finishing" layer of willow bark.Once you have "finished" the besom, you may dedicate it to a spirit or deity of your choice, or charge it with protective energies. Traditionally, it can be hung over a doorway or stood with bristles facing upwards to protect a home. It is also used to "sweep away" residual psychic energies and negativity in a circle.Continue with the remainder of your ritual and close/ground the circle as normal.

Tips & Warnings

• Choosing your birch twigs:
• Traditionally, the twigs are at minimum the length of your forearm and no wider than your pinkie finger. Some more modern covens use extremely thin, long twigs that are bent over double before being woven (twice as long and half as wide as traditional branches). You want the twigs to be fresh (green) when you work with them. If they are too dry and brittle, they will crack during the weaving.
• For a rougher look, you may want to leave the birch twigs on a branch and bind the branches themselves to the ash handle.