The Ipsissimus Magus Ammael
has Ritually and Properly Created a limited few Master Besoms to sell to approved Clients. Or will make one specifically for a Client upon need and approved request.
Genuine Powerful Divination Tools for the Serious Practitioner.
This listing is for ONE DIVINATION RITUAL BESOM of the LARGE size.
48"-58" TALL!
1. Counsel with Ammael to discuss what is the Best, the most Powerful and Effective Besom your Personal Gifts and Purpose. What does your Spirit Master Besom look like? What material...willow, oak, ash, birch, apple, pure broom or something truly rare or a combination such as antler? A Ritually Powered Stone, Crystal or even Pearls to be added to it? What symbols to be hand painted or carved or burned into it? All items are hand gathered and Ritually Blessed by The Ipsissimus Magus herself. Almost all materials are hand grown and gathered by Ammael herself. ATTENTION! Final product and material chosen is at the discretion of The Master Magus. Not all those interested in purchasing will be approved for purchase of such a Powerful Ritual Tool. The Master Magus will not put a Powerful tool in the wrong hands. Or provide a Tool that will not vibrate in harmony with the purchaser.
2. Counsel and Instructions on the uses you have intended for this Powerful Besom.
3. The Ipsissimus Magus herself will Ritually hand create a Large Besom suitable for you and only you! Will be carefully shipped to you. Powerfully Blessed by Ammael. Direction on how to use the Besom. Specific methods and procedures.
4. Name of Besom given and its chosen symbol. To be used in Ritual.
5. Complete Bonding Binding of Besom to purchaser during its Ritual gathering and Creation. This provides it with complete lifetime Protection from any harm coming to "him" or "her". Protection for Ritual use from any other Energy good or Evil. This is an Ancient Powerful Ritual to Connect, Bind and Bond in Energy the Tool of The Art to the Practitioner. As the Besom is Created it will begin to awaken and vibrate. The Master Magus will then speak and commune with its energy to Discover its gender feel in energy, and a name it exudes in a string of tones. The name of a Besom is not one of humanity. It has its own combination of sounds. This unique name will be given in written form along with the Besom when mailed to the new owner/ practitioner. Complete directions on how to use the name will be included.
Allow 4-6 weeks for Ritual Creation of Besom. Possibly longer dependant upon items needed for the Besom.
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The besom, or broom, is one of the main ritual tools of the witch and is sacred to both the Goddess and God. The God - through its symbolic phallic shape, the Goddess - through its three-piece make up, the shaft, the bristles and the binding cord, three being the triform aspect of the Goddess. While besom and broom are two names used interchangeably, there is a small difference in their definition. The brush of a besom is usually made of twigs and is therefore more rounded in shape, whereas the brush of a broom is primarily made of straw or properly broom corn, which is flatter in shape. There can be variations upon this naturally.
Traditionally a besom was made from three different woods, Ash for the shaft, Birch twigs for the bristles and Willow strands for the binding cord. Ash is protective and has command over the four elements, Birch is purifying and draws spirits to one’s service, while Willow is sacred to the Goddess and binds them all together. A few would create their Ritual Besom from other varying items. But these would be elders, priests, the Grand Leader, who had a lifetime of experience. For it is a serious task to create a True Powerful Ritual Besom.
In modern witchcraft today, while the traditional besom still takes pride of place, other woods are used for special purposes: Many step forth bravely and experiment with various woods. Oak for added power and protection, Pine for luck and health, Redwood for longevity, Maple for love and money, Walnut for health and wisdom, and Cinnamon for spirituality.
Magically, a besom is used for a variety of purposes, but more generally they are used to purify and protect. In ritual they are used to cleanse sacred space before magick is performed by visually sweeping away negative energies and astral build up. Before casting the circle, the Priest or Priestess will walk clockwise (deosil) around the circle space, and holding the besom a few inches off the ground sweep outward from the center while chanting the Besom Chant:
Besom Chant
“Besom, besom, sacred broom
Sweep out darkness, sweep out gloom
Rid this sacred hallowed ground
Of demons, imps and hell bent hounds;
Then set ye down on Her green earth
By running stream or Mistress' hearth,
Till called once more on Sabbath night
To cleanse once more this sacred site.”
Sweeping the area with a besom can be done in addition to or in place of incense, to purify ritual space, and is often used for such when rituals are conducted in smoke-free areas. When not being used in ritual, place your magical besom by the door to protect the home from evil spirits and negative energies. When standing a besom, always place the bristles up, with the shaft on the floor. This not only makes the bristles last longer, it will also bring you good luck. Another old custom was to place a besom outside the door, this as an indication to other witches that the occupants are out, or working, and didn’t wish to be disturbed.
To make your own traditional besom you will need the following:
A length of Ash approximately 4ft long and about 1in
thick for the shaft.
Birch twigs (about 1-2 ft. in length) to act as the bristles.
Several strands of Willow for binding the bristles to the
end of the shaft.
A pair of Scissors.
Water and salt.
Soak the Birch twigs and Willow strands overnight in warm lightly salted water (to make them pliable) and allow them to dry slightly before using. They need to be damp and pliable before binding them to the Ash shaft. Arrange the twigs alongside the shaft about 3-6 inches from the bottom, larger twigs form the center of the brush with shorter ones around the outside, then bind them with the Willow strands. Be sure to tie them very securely. Use as many layers of twigs as you like depending on how full you want the brush to be. Leave overnight to dry.
Whether you make your own besom in the traditional way “as above,” or purchase a ready made one, you may then wish to decorate is it with a magickal name or other meaningful symbols or sigils. Once decorated, the besom should then be consecrated ready for use in your magickal workings. To do this anoint the besom with oil while reciting the following chant:
Consecration Chant
“Besom of birch and willow tied,
Be my companion and my guide.
On ashen shaft by moonlight pale
My spirit rides the windy gale
To magickal realms beyond both space and time.
To magickal lands my soul will sail.
In the company of the crone I'll ride
This besom of birch with willow tied
So do I consecrate this magickal tree.
As I will it, so mote it be.”
(Author unknown)
Once consecrated for use in one specific area of Ritual use, it is not intended to be used for other things. You would not want Ammael to create a Powerful Besom for you to communicate with Dark Entities and then use it the next day to create a Love Spell.
Consult with The Magus Ammael to discuss your desires and personal needs and she will Ritually Create the perfect Powerful Besom for you. Over time you may join the ranks or Practitioners who own a quiver full of Besoms!
Here are some traditional ideas for your Besom. When making a Besom for normal Household usage, it can still be magickally used for any Household Ritual. Cleansing of energy after a spell. Or even use during a ritual spell for more powerful effects. How about a LUCK MONEY SPELL....For this is a Household Spell and Ritual. To bring the Household something. On a piece of virgin parchment paper write out your intent spell write the following words while visualising your intent: “I sweep out evil and poverty.” On the opposite side of the parchment “I sweep in money and luck.” Then wrap and tie the parchment around the shaft of the Besom with an appropriate cord. When sweeping, visualise the same intent, but sweep towards the fireplace if you have one. If not sweep in any direction except towards the front door, so as not sweep out and lose your good luck. This is a very basic concept of use for a Besom.
Myths and Folklore
Most people identify the Besom with the old wedding ceremonies performed by Gypsies and early American slaves, when couples “Jumped the Broom” to cross the threshold of their new homes ensuring fertility, domestic harmony and longevity. This custom continues today in modern hand-fasting rituals, when as part of the ceremony, the bridal couple will jump across a decorated Besom as conformation of their commitment to each other. Should the marriage not work, or end in divorce, jumping the broom backwards will break that commitment. Magus Ammael Ritually Creates wonderfully powerful and beautiful Marriage Besoms.
The age-old image of witches flying around on broomsticks casting baneful spells is believed to have come from old fertility rites associated with nature and agricultural. As part of the seasonal Spring rites to aid the growth of newly planted crops, women from local villages would gather around fields with their besoms. Placed between their legs as they circled the field, much like riding on a hobby horse, the idea was the higher they leapt, the higher the crop would grow.
In Renaissance times, according to the demonologists, the Devil himself presented brooms and flying ointment to newly initiated witches so they could fly to the Sabbats. Often they carried with them familiars in the shape of demons or animals. They were also said to fly across fields blasting their neighbour’s crops, or ride out to sea in order to rise up storms. However, such concocted myths were generally forced from the poor tortured victims of the persecutions, and should not be taken seriously.
Other Magickal Uses
Placing a broom across a doorway allows your departed friends and family to speak to you if they so choose. As long as the broom remains, they can communicate freely. To bring rain, stand outside and swing a broom in the air over your head. If lightening blows your way put a broom on your porch to act as a lightening rod. Electricity and lightening are thought to be attracted to brooms. Another way to safeguard a house against lightning strikes is to cross a spade and a broom outside the main entrance.
A besom placed under the bed or beneath the pillows at night, will protect the sleeper from nightmares and ensure a peacefully sleep. Similarly, it is not wise to leave a bed empty for too long. If you are going away for any length of time, place a besom in your bed, laying the bristles on the pillow. This will guard the bed against evil spirits until you return.
Two crossed besoms hung on a wall or the back of a door will protect the house from unwanted influences. With the exception of those used exclusively for magickal purposes, moving an old besom into a new house will result in bad luck.
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BESOM:
The besom is actually a tool used within the modern practice of witchcraft, and it is an item that is fun but also steeped in quite a bit of symbolic lore and tradition. I am going to explore some of this symbolism, as well as discuss its uses and ideas for their creation. Also sought out and used for many various uses. Some simple and fun all the way to extremely Powerful Rituals and Ceremonies. Some very craggy, sinister, medieval and ancient in appearance of pure form. Others slim and tall. Then thick and bent as a wise old hag. Then the few may be elegant artistic and graceful. Some appear to have grown from the tree itself as an Entity would keep in their own home. With many parts growing forth in all directions as if to be held by a group of spirits and not just you.
There is great meaning behind all the various parts of a Besom. Also deep and powerful meanings to its possible shapes.
The besom, while being a standard in housekeeping practices since ages long past, is actually quite more than just domestic armament. Magically speaking, it is a symbol of fertility and sexuality. Many sources cite the traditional construction of besoms as having a handle made of ash, a head made of birch twigs, with bindings made of willow. The ash is a wood associated with masculinity, fire and amorous love. The birch is a wood associated with femininity, protection and cleansing. The besom takes the two and becomes a symbol of their uniting as one. You can make the implied leaps in imagery required here I’m sure. This is one of the reasons why the besom is traditionally used for handfasting ceremonies, where the couple will join hands and jump the broom together, hoping to bestow blessings of fertility upon their new union. This is a tradition borrowed from what many sources cite as Celtic tradition, but that many Pagans have made their own today. John Michael Greer states that people in Appalachia of Scotch-Irish descent still practice this tradition today as well, having brought it over with them from home. Incidentally, your handfasting besom makes a wonderful keepsake. Keep yours hanging in the living room or over the bed, affirmation of the marriage, complete with the ribbons tied on with the best wishes and blessings of everyone who attended the ceremony.
Many stories can also be found of how people would take their besoms in days long past out into the fields at planting time and ride them around, “jumping” to show the crops how tall they should grow. This again, connects the besom to fertility rites, and it is also probably one of the places where the stories about witches riding around on brooms come from. I found mention of brooms being used to apply the infamous “flying ointment” used by witches to take to the night skies. This flying ointment we know of course was used not to literally fly around on full moons, but rather applied to the skin to induce astral projection for spiritual travel. Using A Powerful Master Besom created by The Master Magus Ammael, is very helpful in enhancing any and all Rituals.
Witches today use their besoms in a variety of ways. In ritual, it can be used for directing energy; much like the wand is used. Most often you will find the broom being used to sweep negativity away from the ritual space while it’s being prepared, and/or to sweep positivity, or whatever you wish really, into the space. A Powerful tool to use for cleansing Ritual Spells. Protection outside around your home and inside the home. This practice is still seen here in Slovenia where we reside. On special days or when there is trouble on the horizon you can see the elderly outside with a homemade broom sweeping the grass around their home! Yes folks right now here in 2016 Slovenia!
While there are traditional materials used to make besoms as I already mentioned, there is evidence in history that a Powerful Besom can be crafted of any number of various things. Tailored to specific magical purposes.The Master Magus counsels with the client and does an energy connection to Ritually Discover the proper and most Powerful items to use for the Besom. Additional things that might be added are carved, painted or pyrography symbols or figures, names, words, spell. Additional herbs, stones, crystals to be woven into the Besom.
A Besom kept upright, by the front door or a fireplace is said to protect everyone who lives within the home by preventing evil from entering. A variation of this would be to hang a Besom over the front door to a home. Some believe that Besoms made out of real broom however will repel the fey when kept in a home in this manner, so if you are wishing to seek out and work with this energy, best not to use real broom. Yet there are specific materials known to Ammael to attract and are favored by Fey. There are specific entities you may wish to connect with. Ammael has intimate knowledge of all materials to use. Know that all Ritual items can and do enjoy being used on a daily basis. This only strengthens and cleanses and protects you and your home and you tool. Many people insist that one’s ritual Besom should never be used daily within the home. I do not agree with this notion. Your Tool of The Arts becomes connected to you. However, whatever you feel works best in your mind is what is important. There’s also no reason to not have more than one besom for different uses either. I have many clients who own many Besoms dependant upon the various Rituals they partake in. To me, using a consecrated broom to sweep negativity out of my home or sweep positivity into my home makes perfect sense.
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A list of some of the wood for handles we use.
All gathered selected with care by Ammael by hand.
Ammael has spent the last 10 years travelling and collecting woods from various parts of the world. Ammael also grows her own herbs and has a stock of living trees on her property in the Julian Alps in Slovenia to choose from.
A short list...
And here below is a little description of the energy magical properties of some of the woods.
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Beech Wood.... Summer Solstice.
Male Energy and because it produces nuts it is closely related to the Oak. Associated with the Greek God Apollo and the Elves Sun Lord Obraash. The Celts used the nut of this tree to fodder the sacred swine. Norse tradition says that tablets of Beech were used to make the very first writing tablets for the runes, strong magick for working with the Nordic runes.
Magical Properties: Beech wands are used in the magick of divination. Reduces swellings and skin inflammations. Helps to balance mental health. Aspiration, desire, and victory are all key elements of this wood. Used while working with ancestors, old wisdom, and magickal research. Beech is a sacred wood of the summer solstice.
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Female energy. Birch is a sacred tree of Celtic Astrology 24 December to 20 January. One of the first trees to naturally establish in cleared forests. It is a tree of new beginnings and establishments. Closely aligned with the element of water. The Druids associated this wood with the white stag.
Magical Properties: The Birch wand is used in many cleansing rituals. Birch is a symbol of rebirth, renewal, and diligence. Some use this wood to aid in the calming of emotions. The bark helps to heal wounds and burns. Many European communities use or have used, birch twigs to expel evil spirits. Some cultures utilize birch rods in rituals designed to drive out spirits of the old year. Controlled by Moon influences to include; birth, Lunar spells, healing, and protection. Birch by tradition has been linked to youth and new beginnings. Use in rituals that signify a new start of any endeavor.
With the exception of the mysterious elder, the Birch is the earliest of the forest trees.
The Birch is used extensively in cleansing rituals.
Throughout Europe, Birch twigs are used to expel evil spirits.
Birch rods are also used in rustic rituals to drive out the spirits of the old year.
MAGICKAL ASPECTS: Controlled by the Lunar influences. Birth, healing, Lunar workings, and protection.
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Privet
Dark Spells. Protection against darkness, hexes, evil and ill intent.
Dreams and prophecy.
Breaking of all dark energy.
Protection of Mind, Body, Spirit and Soul.
To not be seen by enemies.
To be forgotten by enemies.
Confusion for enemies.
To speak to dark entities and have a good measure of protection from lies and harm.
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OAK
Strong Masculine energy. Oak is a sacred tree of Celtic Astrology 10 June to 7 July. The Druids associated the oak with the Wren. Closely aligned with the elements Earth, Water, and Spirit . The Oak is considered to be the most powerful and the most sacred to the Druids. Wizards consider this the most amplified wood to use to in spells that work with time and counter spells. Sacred to the Irish God Dagda.
Magical Properties: Truth, steadfast knowledge, protection. Oak wands bring vitality and long life. To the ancient Celtic people, oak was the protector, provider, benevolent king of the trees. Utilized as a healing wood, and very will grounded considering its strong connection to the earth. This wood helps center the mind, allowing it to focus on the task at hand and ignore distractions. Oak help promote both observation and intuition. Oak magic inspires bravery, presence, leadership skills, prosperity, and strength.
The oak tree is the tree of Zeus, Jupiter, Hercules, The Dagda (The Chief of the Elder Irish gods), Thor and all other Thunder Gods.
The royalty of the Oak needs no enlarging upon.
The Oak is the tree of endurance and triumph, and like the Ash, is said to count the lightning's' flash.
The Oak is a male wood which is ideal for the construction of any tool that needs the male influence such as Athames, certain wands and staffs.
The midsummer fire is always Oak and the need fire is always kindled in an Oak log.
MAGICKAL ASPECTS: Endurance, triumph, strength, power, dominion, prosperity, sacrifice, guardian, liberator.
Oak is one of the most sacred trees. It carries the energy of kingship and wise rule, personal sovereignty, authority, power, protection, sealing or opening doors, endurance, and invocation of wisdom, fertility, and abundance.
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Basswood is sacred to the Greek Goddess Aprhodite and the Celtic Goddess Arianrhod, Goddess of the Stars and Queen of Heaven. Some associate this with the Celtic Tree of Life. Basswood is related with the element of Air.
Magical Properties: Basswood wands are used for creative endeavors, star magick, enlightenment, love, attraction, healing, and enchantments.
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Apple Wood
Female energy. The apple wand is symbolic of fertility, peace, plenty and joy. A tree that is sacred to Venus and the Celtic Goddess Rhiannon. Apple is a staple food of the elven and fairie realm.
Magical Properties: This is a powerful wood of choice for the witch when working with the fairie magick. Apple is a good wood for aiding in the propagation of skills, often used in love magick. Apple wood promotes peace and harmony, magick of light and the divine, and promotes visions.
It is an old English custom to drink to the health of the
Apple tree with a good glass of cider all in hopes of encouraging the tree to produce a good crop next year.
MAGICKAL ASPECTS: Fertility
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Both feminine and masculine energies. Artemis, Morrigan, Tyr, Mars, Aries, Herne, and Ambash all consider this wood sacred. Associated with the elemental Earth.
Magical properties: Cherry wands are very centered and has very grounded energy. Earth energy is very well grounded, unwavering, and solid. Cherry is used in ritual to stabilize and focus. Cherry is often used for intuitive and insight and to overcome obstacles. This is an excellent choice for divination or medium work, as well as healing and love magic. Cherry is suited for use in hunting magick, working with animals and familiars, eroticism, unification of covens and groups, spells of detection, and amplifying spell work.
Cherry is imbued with the powers of making and doing, achievement, and self-assertion over obstacles and critics. It is the pure energy of will and desire. The cherry fruit is magically linked to the root chakra and so to sex and birth: the life force of attraction and renewal.
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Feminine energy. Willow is a sacred tree of Celtic Astrology 15 April to 12 May. Willow is strongly aligned with the element of water and associated with the element of spirit. The Druids associated this tree with the hare. Diana, Hecate, Astarte, Ceridwen, Arianrhod, Rhiannon, and Omulan all consider this to be a very sacred tree.
Magical Properties: Willow wands are strong in the cycles of life dealing with death and rebirth, change, the will. It is a very emotional wood. Willow can add vital energy to the sick and elderly. Some say that burning willow can soothe and guide the souls of the recently deceased. Willow wood is the very essence of magick, not just the mere making a tool into a magical one, willow makes the tool magickal. Willow will align itself to the inner will of the party that shares its energy. The stronger the will, the more effective the wood. Willow is extremely useful in healing. It is also good for love spells and rituals involving emotion. It strengthens the third eye, and is a great tool for divination as well.
The Willow was sacred to Hecate, Circe, Hera, and Persephone, all death aspects of the Triple Moon Goddess, and was often used by the Witches in Greece.
The moon owns it.
Female symbol.
It is the tree that loves water most and is sacred to the Moon Goddess who is the giver of dew and moisture, generally.
The Willow is the tree of enchantment.
Can be made into a tool to make wishes come true.
MAGICKAL PURPOSES: Moon magic, psychic energy, healing, inspiration, and fertility.
Willow is a tree of emotion, love, intuition, and poetic inspiration.
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Spruce The spirit of the spruce tree holds great knowledge about healing, especially in relation to the metaphysical causes of disease. Its spirit is gentle. It is not unusual for those who attune to the spirit of spruce to find that there follows an increase in animals within that environment.
PINE
External symbol of life and immortality.
It is one of the few trees that are androgynous.
It was also worshiped by the ancients as a symbol of fire because of its resemblance to a spiral of flame.
It is regarded as a very soothing tree to be near.
MAGICKAL ASPECTS: Strength, life and immortality, rejuvenation
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Chestnut Tree Wood Magic Properties
Element of Fire.
Male Energy.
Planetary Associations: Jupiter
Zodiac Association: Cancer, Taurus, and Sagittarius influences Chestnut tree is a sacred tree of Celtic Astrology 12 November to 21 November.
Associated Deities: The Chestnut wood tree is sacred to Zeus
Druids often made staffs from Chestnut wood, because the physical connection to the wood allowed the user to draw longevity and invigoration from the wood.
Rune: Fehu and Isa
Magickal Properties
For a positive outcome wear Chestnut wood talismans during matters that require justice and diplomacy. Let DragonOak make your next talisman for you!
Use Chestnut wood wands for healing spells and rituals.
Chestnut wood is known for properties that bring success and love.
Wear Chestnut wood talismans during classes or situations that call for higher learning. Chestnut wood clarifies the mind and is an aide in learning.
Sitting under a Chestnut tree will help ground and clarify the mind during periods of meditation.
Place a Chestnut piece of wood or carving under a troubled couples bed to ease disputes and relationship problems.
Wearing a Chestnut wood sigil will aid fertility for women wishing to conceive.
To the early Christians chestnuts symbolized chastity but in reality chestnut increase fertility and desire.
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Feminine energy. Holly is a sacred tree of Celtic Astrology 8 July to 4 August. The sacred spear of Odin was made of Holly. The Roman god Mars rules over this mighty wood. Related to the elemental Earth. Associated by Druidic tradition to the grand majesty of the Unicorn. The Smith God Govannon considers this wood to be sacred.
Magical Properties: Purity, strength, logic, power transfer, protection. Holly wands are often used in magic concerning sleep. It is said that a man who carries the leaves and berries of holly is irresistible to women. Since the story of the ruler ship of the Holly King and the Oak King deal with cycles and rebirth, it is often used in magic to ease the loss of loved ones to death. It also carries properties of the sacred, material advance, physical revenge, and beauty.
HOLLY
Holly means "holy".
The identification of the pacific Christ with the Holly is poetically inept as it is the Oak king, not the Holly king that is crucified on a T shaped cross.
The Holly has many uses from making a dye from its berries to being used as an aphrodisiac.
MAGICKAL ASPECTS: Holiness, consecration, material gain, physical revenge, beauty
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BLACKTHORN:
The wood of darkness
Blackthorn – sinister tree of the dark side
Blackthorn has, perhaps, the most sinister reputation in Celtic tree lore. Known as Straif ancient Ireland, it’s thought to be the origin of the word ‘strife’.
The blackthorn is associated with the dark side of the year. It is a prickly shrub with long thorns that can cause septic flesh wounds. It produces bitter sweet berries (sloes) that ripen after the first frost.
The blackthorn is often associated with overcoming obstacles for a better future or protection and hope in the midst of devastation.
It is a haven for birds such as the, now rare, nightingale who find protection amongst the tree’s long thorns. Sloe berries can be very carefully picked during October, after a frost, and used to make sloe gin, a mixture of sloes, sugar and gin left to mature for nearly three months to be enjoyed as a yule tide treat.
The berries, leaves and bark of the tree are said to stimulate metabolism, clean the blood, heal stomach upsets and disperse toxins from the body. So, why does the blackthorn have such a dark reputation?
In Irish folklore, the blackthorn is guarded by the spiky fairy-folk known as the Lunantisidhe, literally meaning moon fairy. They are not friendly towards humans on the best of days but should you try to cut wood from the blackthorn on the festivals of Samhain or Beltane they will surely curse you. The Lunantisidhe only leave the tree at Esbats (on a full moon) in order to pay homage to the moon goddess. So this may be the safest time to pick sloes or cut the wood.
The wood of the blackthorn is traditionally used in Ireland to make shillelaghs, a walking stick-shaped club, originally used as a weapon to settle a score and now a symbol of heritage among many people of Irish descent throughout the world. The logo of the Boston Celtics, for example, portrays a leprechaun leaning on a shillelagh.
Cailleach – the goddess of winter
Blackthorn is also often associated with the Cailleach, the goddess and ruler of winter. In Celtic folklore, the Cailleach emerges at Samhain to take over the year from the summer goddess Brighid.
One portrayal of the Cailleach, of which there are many, is of a blue veiled old woman with a raven perched on one shoulder and a blackthorn staff in hand which she uses to create mountains, lakes and valleys and also bring about snow storms and rough weather. In Scottish-Gaelic the word Cailleach literally means ‘veiled one’ or ‘old woman’.
Perhaps it is due to this association that the blackthorn is sometimes known as the dark crone of the woods. Of course, it could also be due to its dark and twisted form.
Witches were said to use blackthorn wands
The old relationship with the crone led the Christians to link the blackthorn with witches and dark magic. It was said that witches used thorny blackthorn wands to curse people and had magic walking sticks of blackthorn wood with which to cause trouble.
In 1670, Major Thomas Weir of Edinburgh was garrotted and burned for witchcraft along with his blackthorn walking stick. Witches and heretics were said to be burned on blackthorn pyres to cleanse their evil.
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Juniper (and Juniper Heart Wood
which is simply the heart wood of the juniper tree) holds powers of protection, strength, healing, health, peace and love. Juniper is connected to good health and banishing anything injurious to health. Juniper is associated with Jupiter and the element of fire. Juniper is a symbol of longevity. In the language of flowers Juniper symbolizes perfect loveliness. In Ireland, the Juniper is called IUBHAR CREIGE "Yew of the rocks". The fine-grained, pinkish red to brownish red heartwood is fragrant, very light and very durable, even in contact with soil.
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MANZANITA –
The element of fire.
Magical Strengths: Seduction, enticing, nurturing, force against enemies, guiding light, protection.
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Rhododendron:
Rhododendron helps with the process of focusing on knowledge and enhances one's awareness of enemies.
This wood has a particular affinity with water attraction, cleansing and consecration. It is urges the practitioner toward caution and is a symbol of womanhood, bringing with it temperence. Wisdom and patience. Exceptional for the teacher, leader, sage or one who is always looking to learn new things.
Water spells. Knowledge and sagacious wisdom. Speaking with Angels and any wise beings. Cleansing of negative energies. Fertility. Protection through love and nurturing empathy.
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You may also wish to inscribe rune symbols on you Besom for extra strength, each rune has its own magical energy. below is a list of the runes and their magical strengths.
FEHU: Good Luck, wealth, money, property
URUZ: happiness, fulfillment, good fortune
THURISAZ: Good news, safe travel, inner strength
ANSUZ: Achieve goals, transformation, life changes
RAIDHO: Clear mind, journey, seeing through illusions, finding the truth
KANO: Inspiration, ambition, life-strength, determination
GEBO: Weddings, love, promotion, extra power
WUNJO: Good life, happiness, comfort, security, property, wealth
HAGALAZ: Elemental disruption, change, clearing, awakening, growth
ISA: Stillness, quiet, peace, inner strength
NAUTHIZ: Free from distress, letting go, releasing the past
JERA: Rewards, promotions, increase salary, reaping benefits from hard work
EIHWAZ: Breaking up, ending a dispute, major change, closure,
PERTH: Material gain, new beginning, wealth, fortune
ALGIZ: Removing blockages, visible growth, making ground, success
SOWELU: Guidance, renewal, change, advancement, new locations
TEIWAZ: Wisdom, victory, success, justice, enlightment
BERKANA: Birth, marriage, creativity, new beginnings,
EHWAZ: Transformation, new home, progress, new goals, new outlook, trust
MANNAZ: Male energy, male influence, new career opportunities.
LAGUZ: Life energy, manifestation, movement, progress, spiritual energy
INGUZ: Family, children, spouse, relatives, new energy, family benefits
DAGAZ: Awakening, love, attraction, realization, white light
OTHALA: New possessions, inner qualities, new attainment
ODIN: The end, the beginning, immediate contact with your true destiny, anything is possible
