The Four Winds - Part 2

Just a little more detail for you on each of the Four Winds as described in the previous post.  These descriptions are based on Neo-Pagan reconstruction of the Greek versions of the Four Winds; Eurus, Notus, Zephyrus, and Boreas.

EURUS - The East Wind, Lord of East and Air
Eurus is accompanied by a youthful maiden, and together they open the portals of the dawn, spring, and the element of Air.  The sylphs and Air Elementals come flying through the gates of the Eastern Realm, bringing gifts of clarity, concentration, communication, divination. learning, and music.  Eurus and the Air Elementals can be a great help when you need to concentrate on a ritual, and can also help in times when you may need something ordinary, like a clear road ahead; when you are in a hurry; sending messages; or when you need success in an exam or interview.  Call on Eurus to open the gates of the East Wind, imagine the doors opening wide and the Air Elementals gleefully rushing to your aid.

NOTUS - The South Wind, Lord of South and Fire
Notus is accompanied by a dazzling queen.  He and his bride open the portals of midday, summer, and the Element of Fire.  The salamanders and Fire Elementals come rushing through on the warm winds and hot breath - beings of flame, energy, inspiration, passion, and enthusiasm.... all of which they are excited to share with anyone who calls upon them.  While the Air Elementals can help you think clearly and logically, Notus and his Fire Elementals come with those flashes of pure brilliance and inspiration that come like a lightning strike or a "lightbulb moment".  The South Wind and his Fire Elementals bring passion and energy to your ritual, and can help you when you need a boost of confidence, optimism, passion, courage, inspiration, and enthusiasm..  Call upon Notus to open the gates of the South Wind, imagine the doors opening wide and the Fire Elementals rushing to your side like warriors.

ZEPHYRUS - The West Wind, Lord of West and Water
Zephyrus and his gentle lady bring with them the tranquility and repose of the evening, fall, and the element of Water.  With them come the Water Elementals, Undines and Mermaids - diving and splashing with joy; diving deep into the inner realm of feeling and emotion.  The West Wind and his Water Elementals bring compassion and emotion to your ritual, and will aid you in life by bringing self-knowledge, empathy, love, and affection. Zephyrus teaches us about the ebb and flow of life, the cycles of the moon and the tides, and the rains which are sometimes refreshing and sweet; and sometimes harsh and cold.  Call on Zephyrus to open the gates to the Western Realm and imagine the Water elementals spilling forth, to support you, renew you, transform you, and teach you.

BOREAS - The North Wind, Lord of North and Earth
Boreas and his noble crone queen bring with them the solidarity and protection of night, winter, and the element of Earth. With them come the Earth Elementals and Gnomes, practical beings who bring organization, grounding, and protection to your ritual.  They can help us when we need common sense; basic survival needs; comforting; solitude; security; certainty, and a sense of purpose.  Boreas and his Earth Elementals teach us the importance of being prepared, but not afraid; and the importance of nurturing ourselves and others.  Call upon Boreas to open the gates of the Northern Wind and imagine the Earth elementals marching peacefully yet purposely to your side.

I wrote this Invitation Prayer which can be used in opening a circle for ritual.  You can use it in full, or simply call upon the individual Wind and Element that you need at the time.  Make sure that when you are done, you thank The Winds and the Elementals for joining you and helping you, and release them back to their realm.

INVITATION TO THE FOUR WINDS

Eurus - Lord of East and Air, I invite you to my circle!  Bring your Sylphs and Beings of Air to bless and partake in my ritual.  I need your clarity of thought and a steady mind - help my words to be clear and true and my prayers to be heard!  Wind of the East, join me!

Notus - Lord of South and Fire, I invite you to my circle!  Bring you Salamanders and Beings of Fire to bless and partake in my ritual.  I need your passion and enthusiasm - light my spirit with your fire of courage and give energy to my pure desires! Wind of the South, join me!

Zephyrus - Lord of West and Water, I invite you to my circle!  Bring your Undines and Beings of Water to bless and partake in my ritual.  I need your empathy and emotion - pour the waters of self-knowledge and compassion into my spirit! Wind of the West, join me! 

Boreas - Lord of North and Earth, I invite you to my circle!  Bring your Gnomes and Beings of Earth to bless and partake in my ritual.  I need your grounding and protection - strengthen me and bring fortitude and success to the core of my being!  Wind of the North, join me! 

Air Element Study - The Four Winds

AIR ELEMENT STUDY - Week 4 - The Wind

THE FOUR WINDS

Wind in itself carries a certain magick and power.  I am sure that everyone at some point has felt a gust of wind that felt like it was telling them something, or bringing a message.  Ancient civilizations such as the Greeks, Norse, and Aztecs all assigned Divine beings to each of the four cardinal directions.... Gods who brought the winds of each element, different seasons, and different types of weather.  In modern Neo-Pagan paths, the Four Winds are often called upon in the same (or similar) way that one would call upon each element when opening a circle.  The Winds can be powerful allies to call upon to help empower your rituals, but make sure you call upon them with great respect... and be careful what you ask for!  The Winds may hail from different elements and directions, but they are in Essence all beings of the Air, so your words will be taken quite literally!  While invoking The Winds is of itself basic Air Magick, calling a specific Wind can help blend other Elements into your ritual.  Calling all four of them together when you call the quarters and cast your circle can bring strong energy and rapid results to your rituals and magick.

The Four Winds
From "The Fairy Bible" by Teresa Moorey

"The Four Winds are very special powers, each having their own special Monarch and band of Sprites.  The Four Winds come from each of the four quarters, and are associated with a specific element.
This may seem hard to understand, because surely all the Winds are basically the Air Element?  However the Winds are to some extent. messengers and gatekeepers, bringing and delivering signs and powers from another realm.  Like the association of Air with communication and travel, The Winds can be seen as messengers to open a specific portal to each quarter and Elemental Otherworld."
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The Four Winds
from "The Idiot's Guide To Wicca and Witchcraft"

"Names:
East Wind; Eurus; Wind of the East
South Wind; Notus, Wind of the South
West Wind; Zephyrus; Wind of West
North Wind; Boreas; Wind of the North

Where From: The Elemental Realm

How to Invite them to ritual:
Request their presence politely

The Winds are great for taking your magick and delivering it quickly and forcefully.  When you ask The Winds to carry your magick for you, you are doing Air Magick.  Keep in mind that each Wind has it's own elemental correspondence.  You would call specifically on the South Wind for Fiery aspects; North Wind for Earthy aspects; West Wind for Watery aspects, and the East Wind for Air associations."
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The Anemoi
The Anemoi are the four Greek Wind Gods, each associated with a cardinal direction and different seasons. They are the children of Astraeus - Titan God of the Dusk, and Eos - Goddess of the Dawn.  They were represented as strong gusts of wind, or sometimes as Winged Men, or sometimes depicted as horses who were kept by the Storm God Aeolus.  The names of the Anemoi are the names listed above in the excerpt from The Idiot's Guide To Wicca and Witchcraft.  I will soon write another blog post describing each one in greater detail.  Their Roman counterparts are known as the Venti.

Dvärgar
In Norse Mythology there are counterpart beings very similar to the Anemoi; these are the dvärgar.  They are four dwarves; Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri ("Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western") who each support a Cardinal point of the compass and the element it is associated with.  They may also be associated with the Four Stags of the World Tree, Yggdrasill.

Aztec Gods of the Winds
There are similarly four different Aztec Gods who correspond to the Winds of each Direction.  They are Cihuatecayotl, god of the West wind, Mictlanpachecatl, god of the North wind, Tlalocayotl, god of the East wind, and Vitztlampaehecatl, god of the South wind.