Description

Witch’s Broom, aka Scotch Broom, Cut & Sifted Flower (Cytisus Scoparius)

HERB COMMON NAME :  Witch’s Broom, aka Scotch Broom

HERB SCIENTIFIC NAME :   Cytisus Scoparius

OTHER NAMES :  Banal, Bannal, Basam, Besenginaterkraut, Besom, Bison, Bizzom, Breeam, Broom Tops, Browme, Brum, Butcher’s Broom, Cytise á Balai, Cytisi Scoparii Flos, Cytisi Scoparii Herba, Escoba Negra, Balai, Genet, Balais, Genettier, Genista Andreana, Ginsterkraut, Grand Genêt, Herbe de Hogweed, Hog Weed, Hogweed, Irish Broom, Juniesse, Retama Negra, Sarothamnus Scoparius, Sarothamnus Vulgaris, Scoparium, Scoparius

FAMILY :  Fabaceae

METAPHYSICAL / SPIRITUAL ASSOCIATIONS & CORRESPONDENCES :

• Element: Air
• Planet: Mars
• Day: Tuesday
• Direction: East
• Zodiac Sign: Aries
• Chakra: 4^th Heart Chakra (Anahata)
• Energy: Yang
• Gender: Masculine
• Rune: Hjarta
• Ogham: Ngetal
• Tarot Card: Strength, the Lovers
• Sabbat or Holiday: Imbolc / Candlemas (Feb 1-2)
• Deity / God / Goddess / Spirit Association: Brigid, Hecate, Circe, Morgan le Fay, Marie Laveau, Baba Yaga, Diana, Artemis, Lilith, Anne Bolyn, Witch of Ender, Maldyre, Cybil, Priscilla, Abadar, Bethsheba

Parts Used:  Flowers

Description:  The long, straight branches of this tall plant make great brooms and besoms.

Mystical Attributes:  This plant has furnished ritual brooms (besoms) and floor brooms for hundreds of years. A besom made from this plant is handy for purification of a space through ritual sweeping (nice as a mini broom for your altar). If you do outdoor spells (which is the best place to perform magic) sweep the ground with broom prior to your workings. Some believe this broom to be offensive to the Fae. Traditionally, this plant is a substitute for furze/gorse, heather, holly, or butcher’s broom in Celtic pathways.

Witch’s broom is incorporated into the broom that folk jumped over when they wed.

Witch’s Broom has been burned to calm blustery winds and thrown into the air to raise winds. To calm winds, burn witch’s broom and bury the ashes. To call winds, throw witch’s broom into the air while invoking the spirits of the Air (East), ideally from a high hill or mountaintop.

In Scotland, broom flowers among others were used to decorate female figures made from sheaves of corn and paraded on Imbolc (St. Bride’s Day) in what was apparently a maiden celebration.

The yellow flowers of Witch’s Broom are considered good luck, but in Suffolk and Surrey you were not to make a besom of broom when it was in flower, or you would sweep away your luck.

Warriors might also consider it as a protective charm and symbol of courage, as Richard the Lion-Hearted always stuck some in his helmet before riding into battle.

Witch’s broom is used in purification and protection spells, and is hung in the home to keep evil out.

An infusion of witch’s broom sprinkled through the house exorcises poltergeists.

Mystical Intentions:  Witch’s besom broom making, purification, protection from the fae, protection in battle, courage, bravery, power, determination, tenacity, overcoming obstacles, home protection, handfasting, weddings, weather magic, calming storms, calling wind, luck, banishing, protection from evil spirits, exorcism

Smell:  Witch’s broom is usually scentless. But when the small yellow pustules on the new needles mature, they produce a strong, sweet smell.

Botany, Cultivation & Harvesting:  To propagate Witch’s Broom from seeds, scarify the seeds by gently nicking their hard coats with a file or sandpaper. Then soak in warm water for 3-24 hours. Plant Witch’s Broom seeds in well-drained soil amended with compost to improve its structure, cover the seeds lightly. Maintain a warm and consistent environment, ideally around 65-75°F. About 50% of the seeds will actually germinate. Gradually acclimate the seedlings to outdoor conditions before transplanting.

Plant in a sunny location with some protection from cold and drying winds. Plant in spring or autumn when the soil is warm and moist. Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball, place the plant in the hole, and backfill with soil. Water well after planting. Water regularly, especially during dry spells. The soil should be moist but not waterlogged. Feed with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring and mid-summer. Mulch 2 inches to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and protect against extreme soil temperatures.

Witch’s Broom can grow to over 3 feet in the first year. It is an aggressive plant and is considered a weed in some areas. The plant can get very large.

Stems stay green in the winter. 1-inch flowers bloom on old wood and turn into hairy pods. It can take two years to establish a large root system and flower. While establishing, it can be grassy.

Seeds are very long-lived and can be viable in the field for 30 years and up to 80 years in good storage.

Sources: https://spiritartsandherbs.com/sources

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