Witches are often depicted riding a broom (or besom) and these items are a wonderful addition to your altar and workings.  A besom is a broom which is usually hand crafted from twigs, sticks or grasses.  Brooms are a common household item and it is thought that by riding a broom off into the night sky, it resembled freedom to do whatever a person (usually a woman) wanted to do. 

It is thought that "riding a broom" may have also represented using botanicals to gain an altered state of consciousness, such as applying ointments containing psychedelic herbs like Datura.   

Brooms and besoms represent the element of air and can be used to sweep negative energy away from your home, person or ritual space.