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.
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