When you picture a witch, chances are she’s flying across the moonlight sky on a broomstick — a classic image that’s become one of Halloween’s most iconic symbols. But where did this mysterious connection between witches and brooms even come from? The story goes much deeper than spooky folklore.
The Origins of the Witches’ Broom
Long before it became part of witchcraft imagery, the broom — or besom — was simply a household tool. In medieval Europe, most homes had one. Women used them to sweep dirt from their floors and doorways, symbolically cleansing their space of unwanted energy and negativity.
Over time, this act of sweeping took on a spiritual meaning. Folk healers and wise women began to use the broom in rituals for protection and purification. It wasn’t about flying — it was about energy. The broom became a tool to “sweep away” bad luck, evil spirits, or even illness.
Broomsticks, Fertility, and Flying Legends
One of the earliest written links between witches and broomsticks dates back to the 1400s, during a time of intense witch hysteria in Europe. Many of these stories came from superstition, fear, and misunderstanding of folk traditions.
There’s also a curious connection to old fertility rituals. During planting season, people would jump or dance with poles, pitchforks, and sometimes brooms, to encourage the crops to grow tall and strong. Over time, this earthy ritual was twisted into tales of witches “flying” through the air.
As witch trials spread across Europe, the broom became a supposed symbol of a witch’s ability to travel to secret gatherings called Sabbats. Artwork from that era began to show witches riding broomsticks under the moon, cementing the image we know today.
The Besom in Modern Witchcraft
In modern witchcraft and Wiccan traditions, the besom still holds deep symbolic meaning. It’s used to cleanse sacred space before casting a circle, representing both feminine and masculine energies — the broom handle as masculine, and the bristles as feminine. Together, they form balance and harmony.
Many practitioners keep a broom near their doorway to guard against negative energy or hang a small one above a window for protection. Some even craft their own brooms using local woods and herbs, turning them into powerful personal tools of intention.
The Broom as a Symbol of Freedom
Beyond magic and myth, the witches’ broom has also come to represent freedom — especially freedom for women. The image of a woman flying through the sky on her broom challenged centuries of control and restriction. It was a symbol of independence, rebellion, and the power to rise above societal limits.
Today, that same image still resonates. The broom reminds us that magic can be both simple and profound — found in everyday things, and in the strength to create our own path.
Final Thoughts
The history of witches’ brooms is part folklore, part feminism, and part spiritual symbolism. From humble beginnings as a cleaning tool to a symbol of flight and freedom, the broom carries centuries of magic in its bristles.
So the next time you see a witch soar across the Halloween sky, remember — she’s not just flying for fright. She’s carrying the history of women, energy, and empowerment on her broomstick.
Lisa Crow contributed to this article. She is a true crime junkie and lifestyle blogger based in Waco, Texas. Lisa is the Head of Content at Gigi’s Ramblings and Southern Bred True Crime Junkie. She spends her free time traveling when she can and making memories with her large family which consists of six children and fifteen grandchildren.