Everything Under the Moon

So I have a project due in a month or so in my geography of transportation class and he's left it pretty wide open in terms of what our topic can be.

I decided, I HATE doing projects, most of all 'cause I go jelly-legged when it comes to presenting, and I decided the best thing I could do was have fun with it to take off the pressure.

So I decided to do a comparison between cars and brooms.

Which is more practical, environmentally friendly, faster, the history of both, and really whatever else I can pull out of my ass while still sounding academic and using actual sources/research.

I was wondering if anybody could tell me anything about where the concept of witches and brooms came from, not in a hollywood-Harry Potter playing quidditch-sort of way. And/or point me in the right direction to do my own research.

WitchVox is a good source. Understanding of the broom is multilayered; as a representation of the universal concept of Omphalos, as a tree (or mountain) at the center of the Earth serving as the celestial umbilical cord to the stars & center point of the galaxy around which we rotate. (Earth's central axis aligns with the celestial center at Winter Solstice). Man has always imitated what he observes in nature. The World Tree concept connects the 3 worlds of underworld (roots), mundane (trunk) & celestial (branches). A broom is a tree symbol as is a staff. Multiple layers of meanings to the 3 levels, realms, dimensions of reality.

The connection to celestial pathways along the celestial pole is associated with OOB Spirit travel and the broom/staff/lodge pole/world tree/tree of life & even man's spine & chakras rep's the ability to OOB travel associated with shamanistic witchcraft, ascending & descending the pole connecting the worlds, ie navigating the levels of consciousness. World tree is a concept common to indigenous cultures worldwide so did not originate in just one society or culture. Witches were said to fly to the Sabbats! That's a euphemism for OOBE. A household item like a broom can rep the staff as the Stang of the Trad-Craft, and during persecution times disguising tools or improvising was necessary.

So a witch flying on a broom is a symbol of OOB shamanic practice of ascending & descending the pole that is at the center of all Earthly & Cosmic Realms & dimensions of Conscioisness. Shamans and witches navigate OOB via the teluric energy lines of the earth just like roads the same way migrating herds and geese do by sensing or seeing the geo-elctro-magnetic emanations.

As a fun note, there is a candy bar with an image of a broom flying witch on the label, called "Broom Fuel." I leave to the imagination what the contents might be

I remember when we had a water bed, and needed to get a bubble out of the mattress. My husband, in his infinite wisdom, asked "Do you have a broom?" I said, "Yes. Fly to work on it every night." The rest of me wondered what he thought I used for sweeping the floor.

Snow

I think I might have my work cut out for me But if I can do it, I feel it'll certainly be worth presenting!

Some other relevant references are shamanic witchcraft and hedge witchcraft.