Witches and wizards have long been depicted gliding through the air upon an enchanted broom, one which they keep handy and even include in casting certain magical spells. Movies, stories, legends; perhaps the most popular, " The Wizard of Oz", where the broom belonging to the Wicked Witch of the West is known for the powers it possesses. The witch is never far from her broomstick. Taking a great risk, Dorothy finds her way into the witch's castle to retrieve the broom in exchange for the Wizard's help with getting her home. Unfortunately for the evil green crone, Dorothy melts her with a bucket of water, but at least she got that broom!
More recent than that, in the Harry Potter series, the students of Hogwarts learn to enchant and ride brooms in a special class. Only those who really know their way around a stick are able to join the team and enter into Quidditch Tournaments. Different spells give the brooms different abilities, like increased speed or hovering, and only those who can afford it are aable to purchase high- quality riding brooms.
"Dedicated riders kept their brooms in top condition with a Broomstick Servicing Kit. Large groups of wizards and witches could travel by broomstick without being seen by Muggles, through the use of a dose of the Disillusionment Charm. An earth-bound Muggle would then only see a slight shimmer in the night sky as broomstick riders passed overhead, which could be put down to blurred vision, sleepiness, or a trick of the light.
Instead of broomsticks, wizards in Asia and the Middle East generally preferred to use flying carpets (a notable exception being Japan), which were outlawed in Britain, where they were classified as Muggle objects." ( https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Broomstick)
But all this is the stuff of imagination. There are, in fact, true ancient rituals and beliefs- some still practiced today- which are attributed to this wooden staff with bristles gathered at one end. The broom has many folkloric uses which still persist. One common use is to hang one over the door. We do this for protection. A broom over the door keeps out bad intent and evil. It keeps good energies in, too. It’s believed that the broom will sweep away the negative energies of those who enter your home. It also will protect the home and its occupants. Brooms are hung over the top of the outside of the front door. They are hung with the bristles facing the direction that the door opens.
On spiritualbandaids.com, we offer miniature brooms that can be placed over doorways, around doorknobs, from a windowsill and even from your rearview mirror to keep you protected from negative energies while you travel.