There seem to be a variety of responses to this depending on who you ask. However, I cannot find any proof that they can. I saw comments from various witches who say they can, but they cannot offer any proof.

In my research to answer your question, I found this interesting comment. Again, there is no proof that this has any truth to it. But, I thought you might find it entertaining.

Have you ever wondered why witches actually need a broomstick to fly on? Is it so they can sweep the cobwebs off the sky? No, not exactly!

The witches broomstick was the implement for applying the ‘magic’ salve. A blend of mandrake, henbane and deadly nightshade would have been boiled with fat (whether from babies or not is unknown) to make a salve capable of producing deep sleep with euphoric dreams and hallucinations. The salve would have been applied to the mucous membranes, quite likely to have been the walls of the vagina, using the aforesaid broomstick. It’s no wonder that the witches were said to dance with the devil!

The active ingredients of the salve are the alkaloids hyoscyamine, atropine, and scopolamine, each one alone being very powerful and dangerous. The witches of the time were very knowledgeable as to how much they could get away with using. Very small doses are capable of affecting the central nervous system producing feelings of restlessness and hallucinations. The heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract are also effected, heart rate is altered, bladder and gut function slow down, speech becomes slurred and pupils dilate.

Many of these properties are used in medicine today, but the active chemicals are carefully extracted and measured so that poisoning from overdose is extremely unlikely.

Do not try this at home, folks!