Advent Day 9
Todays item is: Witch Keyring
Carry a touch of magick wherever you go with this whimsical witch keyring.
Featuring a mini broom, potion bottle, and cauldron, it’s a playful reminder of your inner witch, perfect for charms, good luck, or just adding a sprinkle of mystical charm to your keys or bag.
The Broom: Symbolism and folklore
Magic and flight: In European folklore, the image of a witch flying on a broomstick is a powerful symbol of witchcraft and the supernatural, often associated with traveling to clandestine gatherings. The idea may stem from pagan fertility rituals where people would hop on sticks, or from historical accounts of witches using hallucinogenic ointments to achieve a flying sensation.
Protection and luck: In some cultures, a witch's broom (also called a "besom") was hung above a doorway to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune. They could also be used to symbolically sweep away negative energy.
Fertility and abundance: The broom is seen as a symbol of fertility, representing both the masculine (handle) and feminine (bristles). This is connected to rituals for ensuring a good harvest. Modern witchcraft and ritual
Purification: In many modern witchcraft practices, the besom is a ritual tool used to energetically cleanse a space before casting a circle. This is an energetic, ritual sweeping rather than a mundane one, often performed by moving the besom through the air without touching the ground.
Symbol of spiritual growth: The broom is a symbol of empowerment, transformation, and spiritual growth.
The Potion Bottle: Historical Witch Bottles:
Purpose: To protect a person from curses or illness through sympathetic magic.
Contents: Historically included the victim's urine, hair, or nail clippings, along with sharp objects like pins and needles, and sometimes red thread or wine.
Method: The bottles were often sealed and buried at the corner of a property, under a hearth, or placed in another hidden spot.
Belief: The items inside were believed to trap and counteract the harmful magic. The pins and needles would "impale" the curse, and the wine would "drown" it.
Disposal: Some variations involved destroying the bottle by throwing it into a fire, which was believed to break the spell or even kill the witch.
The Cauldron: A Little History
A witch's cauldron is a powerful symbol in folklore and modern witchcraft, historically used for brewing potions and in modern practice, representing transformation, the womb, and the divine feminine.
It is a central tool for rituals, used for burning offerings, mixing herbs, and channeling energy. While a classic image of a bubbling, dark pot is popular in fiction, modern cauldrons are also used to contain flames for rituals or for mixing ingredients.