The Broom Beside the Door – Irish Folklore of Protection & Household Magic

“Laid by the door, it guards both hearth and heart.”

In old Irish broom folklore, the witch’s broom — or besom — was far more than a humble tool of household care. It was a living charm, crafted from the union of wood, will, and wind, and it stood as both servant and sentinel.

To sweep with it was to cleanse not just dust, but stagnant energy. To place it by the door was to declare the space within as sacred — a home warded by the unseen.

The broom marked the boundary between worlds: hearth and wild, family and fae, life within and all that wandered beyond.

The Lore of the Broom

Throughout rural Ireland, the broom held deep symbolic power.

A broom placed bristles-up by the doorway was said to turn aside unwanted guests — human or spirit alike — especially those who came with envy or ill will.

When laid across the threshold at night, it served as a quiet barrier, keeping wandering fae, restless spirits, and malintent from crossing into the home.

If stood upright beside the hearth, it became a charm of invitation — welcoming luck, love, and harmony to dwell within the household.

Its handle was often carved from ash or rowan, trees sacred to protection, while its bristles were bound with herbs of virtue — mugwort for dreaming, thyme for courage, and rosemary for peace.

The besom was, in truth, a staff of the witch’s intent — a wand of wood and straw, ever in motion between the earthly and the ethereal.

The Magic of Placement

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