The Importance of a Comfortable Broom for Senior Witches

The selection of a witch broom is a crucial decision for any sorceress, and it becomes even more important as one grows older. Elder sorceresses have specific needs and considerations when it comes to their mode of transportation in the enchanted world. A witch broom ideal for elder sorceresses must take into account factors such as comfort, stability, and ease of use. One of the main concerns for elder sorceresses is comfort. As one ages, the body becomes less resilient and more prone to aches and pains. A witch broom ideal for elder sorceresses should have a comfortable seat or cushioning to provide extra support during long journeys.

Making them need a broom, black pointy hat, and warty nose is overkill.

I gently, softly grasp at their hands and say boo quietly, and it scares them for a nano second, then we both laugh and then I make them tell me a joke in order to earn their candy. In fact, one sources says that you can make a distinction between bristles-forward in Celtic and English areas and bristles-backwards on the rest of the continent.

A witch broom ideal for elder sorceresses should have a comfortable seat or cushioning to provide extra support during long journeys. Additionally, the handle of the broom should be ergonomically designed to prevent strain on the hands and wrists. Stability is another crucial factor to consider.

Witch’s Broomsticks: Bristles fore or aft?

Lots of older cards show witches riding their broomsticks “backwards.” In other words, the bristles are on the front end, rather than trailing out the back. But it’s more likely us modern folk that have it backward since the further back you go, the more likely you are to see witches and other scary magic-using women riding bristles-forward.

There’s actually a fair bit about this online, and oddly enough you can blame Harry Potter: when the movies came out and they showed Quidditch, loads of folk, particularly various “covens” in rural England, got their witchy-panties all in a knot because the brooms were “backwards.” Now, never mind that I think most kids playing “witch” for the last 50-75 years also put the bristles going backwards. But whatever, the movie was popular, and these local witches had their 15 minutes of fame by claiming that they knew the REAL way to ride a broomstick.

On Halloween, the witches night / If BLUE should be her lantern light / Your future surely will be bright.

Given that I’m pretty sure each and every one of these witches would have found some excuse why they couldn’t fly to demonstrate the correct way in action, take their “authority” with a grain of salt. But it is true that the further back you go in archives, the more you’ll see people (men and women) riding brooms with the bristles pointed forward.

The folklore around why, though, is pretty interesting. But before we get into the lists of random guesses people have made online and in the record, let me give what I think is probably the best explanation right off the bat. It’s actually something I should know a fair bit about: holiday celebrations.

Lots of people “rode” brooms, not just witches. But they weren’t all necessarily pretending to fly on them. Instead, one of the most common sights at old holiday celebrations (whether Christmas or Easter or seasonal of any kind) was a hobby horse. And that’s pretty much just what you’re thinking: a fake horse’s head on a stick that people hold between their legs and pretend to gallop with, just like most kids do.

Hobby horses were an easy and inexpensive way to “dress up” and pretend. If you could make a reasonable-looking head, you could just drape some cloth over the rest of the pole and call it a costume. That’s probably the (very unmysterious and un-occult) origin of the Mari Lwyd which has become so popular online in the last few years: what’s the easiest way to make a fake horse? Grab a horse’s skull (which is pretty easy to come by in rural towns largely worked by horses), stick it on a stick, drape a sheet over the rest, and call it a parade! (This article goes through a number of local celebrations still happening now that use the traditional versions.)

Hobby horses are recorded as being used all over Europe (hell, all over the world), but especially in the western European continent and British islands. Just about every local celebration in any small town from Poland to Brittany to Wales from harvest to Christmas to solstice.

Now, if you’ve got people making fake horses for various reasons all year long, if your kid wants to make one to run around the house, what’s he most likely to grab that is, first, a long stick and, second, has something that kinda resembles a horse head? Yep, a broom. And if the bristles are the head, they go at the front.

So… what’s the most common way to find someone “riding” a broom? It’s seeing them on a hobby horse with the bristles pointed forward. It’s a tiny step then to say that witches could make those hobby horses “fly” next, turning them into weirdly enchanted steeds that carried you through the night on nefarious business.

The Witches Sabbath by Luis Ricardo Falero who painted more than his fair share of witches, most often nude.

Now there’s no great documentation for this, or at least none that I can find. And I’m not about to spend years digging in archives just to prove what seems like common sense. So it is what it is. But for my money, that’s about as deep as the mystery goes. Why then did it change over time? Well, it didn’t totally. There are certainly images and descriptions of hobby horses made of brooms with the bristles backwards. In fact, one sources says that you can make a distinction between bristles-forward in Celtic and English areas and bristles-backwards on the rest of the continent. Maybe. But you’ll also see loads of people saying that it just seems more aerodynamic to have the bristles pointing backwards, which certainly makes sense as “aerodynamic” became a “thing” that just hadn’t been in the popular imagination before cars and eventually planes started moving at motorized speeds. Again, though, that’s a guess.

But I don’t want to disappoint those who, like me, prefer a more esoteric reason for broom direction. So here are some of the, let’s call them “minority opinions” I’ve found both in my minimal research in actual physical books (who knew!?) and online:

• The bristles had to be in the front because that’s where you stash a candle so you can see in the dark.
• The broom is a hybrid fertility symbol with the handle as the phallus and the hairy bristles as the “feminine” part. So when a witch would ride the broom “backwards,” it was a subversive symbol of switching the usual masculine priority.
• Similarly, doing the opposite of what you might expect just shows that witches live by their own rules against the norms of polite society.
• Witches would “ride” the broomsticks naked because it was a way to take hallucinogenic or “magical” potions without nausea. In other words, the handle was a, uh, delivery device. (This doesn’t say anything about the direction, but it’s weird enough to warrant mention.) This idea gets a ton of traction online, and there are a couple sources from 15th and 16th century texts that get quoted over and over (usually out of context and without mentioning that in both cases, you’ve got a writer trying to prove another group guilty of Satanic or otherwise “evil” behavior.)
• The earliest image of a witch riding a broomstick that I can find referenced comes in the middle of a rant about virtuous women (and which ones aren’t). When “witches” come up, it’s not about evil sorcerers doing mysterious spells. Instead, it’s a chance for the author to pile some hate onto heretics, Waldensians in particular. Their primary evil? Allowing women to be priests and perform sacraments. From there it’s a slippery slope to full on Satanism. In this case, the broomstick isn’t even mentioned, but it’s pretty clear it’s a woman’s cleaning tool being used inappropriately — just like, one can assume, the idea of a female priest was horrifically “inappropriate.”
• Brooms are a corruption of the actual symbol which is a spinning distaff. The Norse goddes Frigg, who some say is one of the pagan goddesses (like Hecate) that witches pray to, carries a giant distaff around which all the threads of fate are wound. In Norse mythology, cloth spinning is also generally associated with magic and spells.

I’ll admit I’m not too convinced of any of these. Even the ones that seem right still strike me as far too convenient and logical a kind of explanation when, in truth, most folkloric history and source-tracing unearths all kinds of mistakes and misunderstandings and random, often completely context-less copying of earlier stories or behaviors.

The truth is we just don’t know.

But at least next time you hear someone say that a witch is riding a broom “backwards” (regardless of which way you think is “forwards”), you’ll know enough to, let’s say… call their confidence into question.

As long as we’ve veered toward symbolism, a lot of the broom imagery generally has it being used upside down or even carried like a staff rather than ready for cleaning. At the very least, it gets used a kind of “topsy-turvy” icon:

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Elder sorceresses need a broom that offers stability and balance, as their reflexes may not be as sharp as they once were. A broom with a wider base or support system can help prevent accidental tumbles or falls during flight. Moreover, a broom with anti-vibration technology can minimize the impact of bumps or uneven surfaces, ensuring a smoother and more stable ride. Ease of use is also paramount for elder sorceresses. A broom that requires minimal physical effort to operate is ideal. Features such as a lightweight frame, adjustable height settings, and effortless steering mechanisms can make a world of difference for an elder sorceress. Additionally, a broom with simplified controls and intuitive navigation systems can help ensure a stress-free and enjoyable flying experience. In conclusion, choosing the right witch broom is a critical decision for elder sorceresses. A broom that prioritizes comfort, stability, and ease of use can enhance the magical journeys of these seasoned enchantresses. Whether it's a cushioned seat, a stable base, or user-friendly controls, the ideal witch broom for elder sorceresses should cater to their specific needs and make their adventures in the enchanted world all the more magical..

Reviews for "Top Broom Brands for Mature Sorceresses"

1. John - 2/5 stars

I was really disappointed with this witch broom. I bought it for my grandmother, who is an avid sorceress, but it turned out to be nothing more than a gimmick. The broom was poorly made and didn't even have enough flying power to lift my grandmother off the ground. It felt like a cheap toy rather than a functional tool for spellcasting. I ended up returning it and purchasing a more reliable broom elsewhere.

2. Sarah - 1/5 stars

I would not recommend this "witch broom" to anyone. It was a complete waste of money. The broom looked nothing like the pictures online. The bristles were worn out and the handle was flimsy. It didn't even come close to meeting the expectations of an elder sorceress. This broom is a prime example of false advertising and I feel cheated out of my hard-earned money. Save yourself the disappointment and find a different option.

3. Robert - 2/5 stars

I purchased this broom for my mother, who has been practicing sorcery for decades. She was excited to receive it, but that excitement quickly turned into frustration. The broom was difficult to handle and didn't provide the stability she needed for her spells. The bristles were constantly shedding, making a mess in her spellcasting area. Overall, this broom was a letdown and did not live up to its claims of being ideal for elder sorceresses.

The Benefits of an Ergonomic Broom for Older Sorceresses