Winds Four Quarters

Winds Four Quarters is from the short story Swordsworn in Sword and Sorceress 3 edited by Marion Zimmerman Bradley. It is especially appropriate to be played and sung on the 16th and 17th of January. This was an ancient Greek festival in which offerings were made to the Wind Gods of the eight directions.

Here are the Lyrics:

Wind’s four quarters:
Air and fire
Earth and water
Hear my desire

Grant my plea
Who stands alone
Maid and Warrior
Mother and Crone

Eastern wind blow
Clear blow clean
Cleanse my body
Of it’s pain

Cleanse my mind of
What I’ve seen
Cleanse my honor
Of it’s stain

Maid whose love
Has never ceased
Bring me healing
From the East

Southern wind blow
Hot blow hard
Fan my courage
To a flame

Southern wind be
Guide and guard
Add your bravery
To my name

Let my will
And yours be twined
Warrior of
The southern wind

Wind’s four quarters:
Air and fire
Earth and water
Hear my desire

Grant my plea
Who stands alone
Maid and Warrior
Mother and Crone

Western wind blow
Stark blow strong
Grant me arm and
Mind of steel

Let our own both
Caught and long
Mother hear me
Where I kneel

Let no weakness
On my quest
Hinder me,
Wind of the West

[Music]

Northern wind blow
Cruel blow cold
Sheave my aching
Heart in ice

All around my
Soul enfold
Crone I need not
Call you twice

To my foes bring
Cold of death
Chill me north winds
Frozen breath

Wind’s four quarters:
Air and fire
Earth and water
Hear my desire

Grant my plea
Who stands alone
Maid and Warrior
Mother and Crone

Maid and warrior
Mother and Crone

From the album: Magic, Moondust, & Melancholy