Broomstick

Phoebe: Okay, now don't tell me you ride around on this thing.

Eva: Anything's possible.

A broomstick charged with a witch's magic can channel power. It is a popular culture among mortals where witches ride on brooms to fly through the air.^[1] In the 17th century, it was more common for witches to use brooms to sweep away evil by sweeping from east to west.

The broom flies with the witch sitting on it and can be navigated to fly in any direction the witch wishes. The broom also seems to magically keep its rider in place, preventing them from falling off.

History

Sweeping Away Evil

According to Eva, witches traditionally use brooms to sweep from east to west, which would grant the broom magic strong enough to sweep away evil. Eva told Phoebe this while she taught her how to empower a broom. Phoebe later used it to bring down Ruth Cobb's talismans that ward off witches, allowing Piper and Prue to sneak in and rescue Charlotte Warren.

Eva demonstrating the broom's usage.

Phoebe feels the charge.

Phoebe uses the broom to sweep away evil…

which disables Ruth's witch-warding talismans…

Causing them to fall off.

Flying on Brooms

The earliest recorded event of witches riding on flying brooms was in 1670, when Phoebe channeled her magic into a broom. She then sat sidesaddle and rode into the air toward the Witch Hunters. The witch hunters, spooked, retreated. Afterward, Phoebe proudly rode against the full moon while her sisters looked on with astonishment.^[2]

Notes and Trivia

• In the non-canonical novel, Leo Rising, a witch named Nisha Maksoud cast a spell to enchant a broom and then use it to keep an evil witch named Xandra at bay. Darryl Morris was given the task when Nisha went to make a potion to freeze her.
• In "Brain Drain", Piper was trapped in a dream where Phoebe stole a broom for "flying" away from the hospital.

See Also

• Flying Cars
• Magic Carpet
• Flight

References