Rosemary Altar Besom
Let’s talk about rosemary. It is one of my favorite herbs to work with: it makes food delicious, it smells amazing, it is easy to grow and has an overwhelming list of benefits for dietary and topical uses. When W (my partner) started gardening, it was the first thing he planted that did well. 2 years later, we have several swelling rosemary bushes growing in our backyard and after our recent spring pruning, we have a slew of rosemary clippings in the house that are just begging to be used.
This humble plant name essentially means “dew of the sea.” The original Latin name was rosmarinus, as in marine. In the 18th century, the Mediterranean plant name evolved into “rosemary”, due to the popularization of the rosemary flower being associated with the Virgin Mary.
The herb is used frequently in recipes and can be used to flavor meats, salt, vegetables, cocktails and even desserts. There is so much more to this herb than it’s delicious flavor. It has many dietary and medicinal properties.
Rosemary was historically associated with memory and remembrance and scientific research is starting to back that association up, showing that exposure to rosemary essential oil may increase concentration, cognitive function and memory recall. In addition to improved cognitive function, it also has been shown to reduce stress in test subjects and improve overall mood.
The herb also has research showing it can contribute to hair and scalp health, can improve hair growth, be used as a mild pain reliever and can be used as a bug repellent. It is also a great source of Vitamin A and antioxidants.
Rosemary is important in witchcraft, also, with the most prevalence use of rosemary being for protection. Folk tales recommended keeping rosemary beside your garden gate or by your front door for the protection it provided. You can hang rosemary above doorways to protect entryways and burn rosemary incense in your home to clear it of stagnant energy. I recently used some of my bounty of rosemary to make an altar besom for spring cleaning and fortification! I added baby’s breath because it has a lovely fragrance and spring energy about it and it will dry easily.
I used about 10 mid-size rosemary clippings, but this can be made into a smaller besom, with less clippings. You can use any clippings from a backyard tree, bush or even store-bough flowers. (I bought a $4 spray of baby’s breath on my last trek to the grocery store.) Make it your own with whatever you have close by and have access to. If you’re gathering materials from a natural space or park, make sure it is okay to remove materials from the habitat and make sure you’re not disturbing any wildlife. If removing clippings from a live plant, only take a sustainable amount, so it can recuperate. Many shamanic and animism practices require asking the plant for permission, before taking any cuttings. Default to your intuition on what feels the most respectful and mindful to you.
What you’ll need to make your besom:
* Rosemary clippings (can substitute flowers, twigs and grasses)
* Twine, jute or string
* Garden shears or scissors (depending on the thickness of your material)
* Optional: beads and copper wire for decoration
I started by gathering the 3 longest and thickest diameter of clippings I had. You can just gather these together or loosely braid them, like I did. They may not braid neatly at the end, so be sure to have something to bind it at the end, while it dries, so it will hold it’s shape. (I used a rubber band.) These will be the handle part of your besom, so you want to make sure it is thick enough to hold the weight of your besom.
After you have your core 3 clippings, start by adding clippings around the core 3 your started with. There is no exact science to this. I tried to go with the next thickest and fill the thinner clippings in-between, to minimize any gaps. I used the bottom of the foliage as a guideline, so I had to trim less of the greenery at the bottom. You should have an even circle of rosemary surrounding your core handle.
Once you have your besom as full and as gathered as you’d like, use your twine to tie around your gathering. I tied mine about 1/3 of the way down, so I had room to trim the tops of the clippings and because that was how long I wanted my handle to be. Use your best judgement here, for lengths. Once the clippings have been secured tightly, just keep wrapping your besom in twine until all the wood and leaves are hidden and everything is tight and secure. I just wrapped and did a basic knot and tucked the remaining trim underneath the wrappings. You could use ribbon, wire or anything else here—so long as it secures everything together.
Everything tied down and secure? Good. Take your scissors or shears (carefully) and trim the tops of the clippings around your handle, so they are all even and end at the same length. I also trimmed the bottom of my besom, so everything was relatively even and flush, but this was more an aesthetic decision. Do whatever looks good to you.
If you want some additional decoration, I used a small bit of copper beading wire that I had on hand and strung some glass beads and a quartz bead around the band, for added *umph*. You could add a charm, pretty ribbons, paper or a gemstone--- use your imagination and whatever you have close by.
I was able to make several of these from the spring pruning I cut from my 2 rosemary bushes and I still had plenty left for cooking, flower arrangements and for making a rosemary hair wash. (I’ll post the recipe if it works out!)
I now have a lovely new besom for my altar space and my living room smells so clean and fresh. These make great gifts, also.
Happy crafting, witches!?!
References:
“rosemary.” 2019. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.etymonline.com/word/rosemary#etymonline_v_16532
Singletary, Keith, PhD. 2016. “Rosemary: an overview of potential health benefits.” Nutrition Today, Volume 51.2, p 102-112. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/FullText/2016/03000/Rosemary__An_Overview_of_Potential_Health_Benefits.9.aspx
McCulloch, Marsha, MS, RD. 2018. “14 benefits and uses of rosemary essential oil.” Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/rosemary-oil-benefits