Today, I’d like to share a piece by Linda Stowe. It comes from our Wordle Word efforts. And it sounded like good fuel for thought.
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Brooms
by Linda Stowe
The lady who cuts my hair will be here today. As I got the broom out of the closet in preparation, I thought, now here’s something that is pretty much the same anywhere on the globe. Brooms may be made of different materials, and they may be used to sweep up different things, but they are a universal tool designed to do just about the same thing wherever they are used. And for the most part that is true.
However, I have learned that brooms have other uses. In some places, such as Asia, Africa, Europe, and North American Native cultures, brooms can be used for sweeping away evil spirits, for divination, or even protection as weapons. And, of course, flying. The common broom in the hands of the right practitioner can be quite versatile. I hope my broom is only used for sweeping today.
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Polly here again.
Brooms have been around for a long time.
The exact date of the invention of the broom is unknown. But it is believed that they have been in use for centuries. Somebody had to come up with the ideas. So that first person decided to tie together bundles of twigs and attach them to the end of a stick. And wouldn’t you know? They’ve been working the same way ever since. We use them to sweep up dirt and debris and other such things that need to be cleared away.
Sometime during the 18th century, the first modern brooms were invented. Broomcorn became the name of the game. It is a type of grass that is native to North America. It must be good stuff because broomcorn brooms got popular among the cleaning people of that time. Those brooms were said to be more durable and effective than the older models.
Of course, today, many different types of brooms are available, from natural to synthetic.
But all the cleaning aside, many believe the broom is a powerful symbol of spiritual cleansing and protection. In many cultures and religions. In certain ancient cultures, people believed that when they cleaned their homes by sweeping, they were also purifying the environment of any unwanted spirits or energies.
There is also the old image of the witch riding the broom across the sky. But “witches” are real people found all around the world. And in some of their traditions, the broom is often used to invoke creative energy into their spells and rituals.
And one more. Jumping the broom. It is a tradition at some weddings where the couple jumps over the broom together. It represents clearing away the past and starting fresh, new beginnings. It was largely seen back in the days of slavery. When slaves would marry one another.
I could go on and on about different broom traditions throughout history, but I think you are probably getting the drift. Brooms are not just for sweeping dirt under the rug. Or for genuinely cleaning houses. They are symbols of the spirit too.
But here is a thing about brooms. They are never on time, it seems.
Do you know why a broom is always late?
Because it over swept.
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“Have a little faith, kick a little dirt.”
— Diane Ladd
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“Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars?”
— Nora Roberts
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“Magic is just science that we don’t understand yet”
— Arthur C. Clarke
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A look at brooms, with Linda Stowe
