01/30/2026
Hearth & Home
Day 6: The Broom
In old Celtic homes, the broom was an ordinary object, but it wasn’t treated as meaningless. Sweeping was part of caring for the spirit of the home, not just the floors. The belief was simple and logical. Just as dirt settles in corners, so does heaviness. Worry, grief, anger, and exhaustion tend to linger where life pauses. Sweeping helped move those things along.
There was also intention in how it was done. In folk practice, people often swept from the back of the home toward the front door. The idea was not to stir things up or push them deeper into the house, but to guide what no longer belonged outward. It was a way of clearing a path, not fighting what had settled there.
This is one of the ways we use our Sacred Salts. These are herbal blended salts we make for protection, peace, and cleansing. Before sweeping, we lightly sprinkle the salt along the back edge of a room or in the corners where energy tends to collect. We take a moment to set our intention, then we release it and begin to sweep. The salt marks the purpose. The broom does the work. Together, they help the home breathe again.
And here is the important part. You do not need special tools. If all you have is traditional table salt, that is perfect too. Salt has been used this way for centuries across Irish and Celtic folk traditions. It preserves. It protects. It holds things steady. That is why it was placed at thresholds, near hearths, and sometimes scattered before cleaning. Its use is practical, symbolic, and deeply rooted in everyday life.
Today, choose one small area of your home. Sprinkle a little salt at the back of the space. Take your broom and sweep slowly toward the front or toward a doorway. As you move, imagine gathering up what feels heavy or stuck. Old tension. Lingering sorrow. The weight of the week. You do not need spoken words, but if they come, let them be gentle and plain.
This goes.
This home is cared for.
When you’re finished, empty the dust outside if you can, or into the bin with intention. This isn’t about banishing or fear. It’s about tending. About reminding the space that it is loved, watched over, and kept well.
The broom and the salt teach us something old and true. Care does not need to be elaborate to be powerful. Small acts, done with purpose, are how homes stay alive.
Go mbeidh suaimhneas agus cosaint sa teach seo.
May there be peace and protection in this home. 🕯🌿
