If you’re looking for a festive seasonal project that doesn’t take much creativity or effort, making a goldenrod blessing broom may be just the thing for you.
Goldenrod blessing brooms are exactly what they sound like – a broom made out of goldenrod (Solidago canadensis). And while they aren’t intended to be used as you would a regular broom, they are intended to be used as a seasonal adornment. Not only that, but they have quite a bit of fascinating lore behind them as well.
Appalachian Lore
In Appalachia, there are a lot of old wifes’ tales, thanks to the myriad of beliefs passed down to us from our Scottish, English, and Irish ancestors. One of these old wives’ tales is that of the blessing broom.
A blessing broom is a small broom made from botanical material that is hung by the front door of one’s home to symbolize the protection of the home.
You see, brooms are thought to keep evil out of the home and protect what is inside, so they were placed over or beside entryways of the home. They were also regularly used to clean spaces before ceremonies or rituals, and a blessing was spoken over the broom to verbalize the act of cleansing a space.
One such ritual would have been cleaning a room before a mother gave birth to a baby or sweeping out the house before the turn of the new year to rid it of the old and welcome the new.
Now, whether or not you believe in speaking verbal blessings over people or things, good and evil forces, or symbolic items, as I said earlier, a goldenrod blessing broom can be a seasonal decor piece in the home and a good way to bring your love of botanicals into your home.
Goldenrod symbolizes the last of summer’s sun and warmth, and it serves as a reminder of that light when it’s brought into the home.
Below you’ll find the steps on how to make a goldenrod blessing broom, as well as some fun rituals to bring more seasonal mindfulness into your blessing broom.
Goldenrod Blessing Broom
You will need:
- 4-5 flowering goldenrod stalks, 4 ft in length
- Green floral wire, jute string, or a strong thread (such as embroidery floss)
- Gemstones of your choice (optional)
Step 1:
Harvest 4-5 stalks of flowering goldenrod, each around 4 feet in length. Try to choose goldenrod that is either almost ready to bloom or has just bloomed. Using goldenrod that’s been in flower for some time will result in the flowers going to seed as it dries, producing a light yellow to white fluffy mass at the end of your broom. I like to choose goldenrod that has branched out, so it already has a broom shape to it.
Step 2:
Remove the leaves from the lower 2-3 feet of each stalk, below where the flowers branch out. This will be the handle of your blessing broom. Lay these together in a bundle, arranging them so that the flowering tips flare out like a broom.
Step 3:
Bind the stems together in four equally spaced places to symbolize the four seasons of the year. The first binding should be at the base of the blessing broom, nearest the branching flowers. The last binding should be 2 inches from the end of the stems. The middle two bindings should be evenly spaced between the first and last.
When binding the stems together, I like to make 13 knots for each full moon of the year. To do this, I tie the string around the stems and knot it, then I repeat this 2 more times at each of the seasonal locations for a total of 4 knots on the first binding, the one closest to the flower branches, and 3 knots on the other 3 bindings. On the last binding, the one at the end of the handle, I leave the string a bit long so I can tie them together to make a rope to hang the broom on.
Step 4:
Lastly, trim the ends of the stems, so they are all nice and even, and then say a blessing over your broom. You can speak any blessing over it you’d like, but I like to say a prayer over mine.
Lord of all creation,
Thank you for this great gift
Of health and home.
May you give me the knowledge and wisdom
To use your gifts to build my home
And care for those within its walls.
May this goldenrod blessing broom serve as a symbol
Of light, protection, and wellness.
Thank you for your love, guidance, and provision.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
As your goldenrod blessing broom hangs, it will dry and become brittle, preserving the color of the beautiful sunny flowers and reminding you of the blessing it represents for weeks and months to come.
Okay, friends! If you make a goldenrod blessing broom this year, I would love to see how it turns out. Share a photo of it on Instagram and tag me (@growingupherbal) or email a photo of it to me so I can see it!
Love and light,
Meagan