Today I performed a small ritual to welcome, bless, and dedicate my new brooms. The structure and particular dedications are personal to me, but I hope that everyone who finds this useful might adjust it creatively to their own use. I generally work with short rituals with a vague mental plan that I flesh out in the moment with simple heart-felt words, rather than sitting down to write out liturgy ahead of time.
My overall structure (of wand and cauldron, land/sea/sky) is loosely taken and modified from the Triskelion ritual format created (as far as I know) by Kristopher Hughes, in his book “Celtic Magic” (pg 43+). At home, I use a very short and non-flowery version, but the same format can be expanded to be more poetic and impressive if you desire. I highly recommend picking up Hughes’ book if you are interested in this format, and even more highly recommend giving things a try yourself and attuning it to your own style!
I enjoy welcoming new tools with a ritual when I will be using them for rituals or simply for general, daily life, especially cleaning, cooking, and crafting. I find that over time it changes my attitude about these tasks, since I am focused on performing chores as a gift to myself, my family, and my home. It cultivates a relationship with the tools themselves, and helps to keep resentment about who is doing what chores at bay, since it is a gift that I’m giving out of love. (This is possible when the general balance of the household is broadly kept with everyone contributing, rather than an abusive or simply unbalanced situation — please don’t use this as a way to continue your own suffering, rather use it when genuine love and care for the household is freely felt.)
This also assists another part of my practice. It is important for me to use sustainably-made tools when possible, especially if I can get them from small operations that treat their employees well, rather than a big box store. Of course, this is only possible because I am fortunate enough to have a job that allows for spending extra money now on good tools that will last, rather than being stuck with the cheapest options to keep my budget afloat.
Poverty is a difficult situation, and I do not want to guilt or pressure anyone who is struggling into feeling inferior for not being able to invest in the same way. Also, most people already own a broom if they need one, and it’s better to keep and use what you have rather than throw out for something new. Feel free to use this ritual on your basic, cheap plastic broom, if that is what you have! The point of this ritual is to honor humble tools, and honor ourselves using them. It is less important to have picturesque tools. Using tools within our personal means still connects us with all the generations of people who use what they can manage to make or buy.
Supplies
- Cauldron
- Wand (a beaver-chewed stick–crafty, willing to work, form and function united)
- Land symbol (a piece of quartz from a mountain I hiked)
- Sea symbol (a bowl of wonderful, drinkable tap water)
- Sky symbol (incense, this one sandalwood because woody seemed appropriate)
- Brooms to be dedicated
- Anything else you feel like!
This is just a list of what I used, in case anyone is curious. You can easily leave out any or all, in my opinion, except perhaps the brooms. This is a discussion that I can elaborate on forever, but if you don’t have a cauldron, you can use a cupped hand, and without a wand, you always have your own pointing fingers to direct intentions through. I also often use a wooden kitchen spoon as a wand for household matters, but the beaver wand seemed most appropriate today. You’re also welcome to take the broom blessing itself, and put it into a ritual style that is more meaningful to you.
Without further ado, here is my ritual. Normal text should be spoken, italics are for directions/actions. For all parts of this ritual, I am including what I myself did, meaningful to me. I highly recommend adjusting words and gestures to feel most natural to you, or even just give it a read and go through it on vague memories and what comes to you in the moment. It makes it feel more personal, though not everyone may be comfortable doing it on the spot, you could adjust the script beforehand if that’s easier for you.
Please feel free to personally use and modify as you please–and let me know if you did, and what you changed, just for my curiosity!
Ritual
Prep the ritual space. If desired, cast a circle, cleanse, etc, to your own preferences.
Take three deep breaths (or more as needed) to ground you in your space and your current work.
Face north, hold wand in dominant hand, downward roughly at 45 degrees (one ray of awen).
Songs of the Earth, I call to you! Rolling hills, thriving soil, steady stones. Source of abundance and support. Mother Earth. I welcome and honor you!
Breathe deeply on the land.
Hold wand horizontally outward from body (middle ray of awen).
Songs of the Sea, I call to you! Shifting currents, crashing waves, streams, rain, and sinks. Source of flow and adaptation. Grand ocean. I welcome and honor you!
Breathe deeply on the sea.
Hold wand upward, roughly 45 degrees toward the sky (last ray of awen).
Songs of the Sky, I call to you! Rolling clouds, sunrise and sunset, sparkling night sky, magnetosphere. Source of protection and illumination. Father Sky. I welcome and honor you!
Breathe deeply on the sky. When ready, lower wand.
I stand here with land, sea, and sky. Welcome to those of good and neutral intentions, and necessary destruction. May we be at peace together here. I come today to bless and dedicate my new tools to good work.
Point wand into cauldron, or circle the tip around the brim clockwise.
The cauldron connects us to inspiration, wisdom, and the magic of everyday life. I set my intentions here for good work.
While pointing or circling wand, chant “O I W” smoothly three times (oh like ‘dough’, ee like ‘tree’, oo like ‘brew’). Focus on bringing your full intention to the ritual, and any energies you work with that seem right.
Welcome to my new beautiful tools, three brooms to do good work! They have been made by honest hands, and come to be used by honest hands. May I learn how to use them respectfully, to care for them carefully, and serve mutually. My tools serve me, and through me, as I serve my self, my family, and my home, through them.
Gently touch the symbol of Land to the brooms, or vice versa as makes sense.
May these tools be strong, and stand up to their tasks, may they last for a long time.
Gently touch (or sprinkle) the symbol of Sea to the brooms.
May these tools be flexible, to be used imaginatively as needed, and may we adapt to each other over time.
Gently touch (or waft) the symbol of Sky to the brooms.
May these tools be connected, to lift me up and connect to other people who use simple tools, to honor homemakers before, now, and after me in the rituals of life.
Add any other working you feel is appropriate here, for example divination.
Touch each broom, or focus on each in turn, in my case specifically…
May I use this kitchen broom thoroughly and often throughout my whole home, to be doing the heavy work.
May I use this turkey wing broom lightly and thoughtfully, getting into corners and small spaces.
May I use this delicate broom spiritually, to clear my ritual spaces, and to keep a reminder of my work and my promises close by each day.
Point wand into cauldron, or circle counter-clockwise.
I pour my intentions into the cauldron.
Take a moment to focus on these intentions. Imagine using the tools, smiling and full of love. Invest in yourself the idea to use these tools with love each time, to put away any negative thoughts while using them, and the tools spreading those good intentions throughout your home with every use.
Thank you brooms, may we cultivate a relationship of respect and love.
Face south, wand in dominant hand. Point wand upward at 45 degrees to the sky.
Thank you songs of the Sky!
Point wand horizontally.
Thank you songs of the Sea!
Point wand downward at 45 degrees.
Thank you songs of the Earth!
I thank all who are here.
Take a breath and return to mundane space. I usually bow to the altar and say “Thank you”. Dismantle your circle if you cast one, or whatever other method you use to end a ritual.