Raising the Wind

Raising the wind is a very old folk version of Air Magic, originally used
when winds were vital for sailing and also turning windmills to grind
corn and wheat. One belief was that if a sailor threw a coin he found
on deck towards the wind, it would buy a fair wind for the day. Witches
were reputed to sell winds in the form of a knotted cord to sailors. The
first knot was untied for a light breeze, the second for a strong wind
and the third for a gale. When the King of Sweden was fighting the
Danes in 1563, he took four witches to sea with him to manipulate
the weather in his favor. Swedish seafarers also built stone labyrinths
on the shore, believing that these would ensure fair winds to aid their
voyages. If the winds died down during their journey, seafarers would
row to the nearest island or rocky outcrop and create a new labyrinth.
In other parts of the Northern world, offerings of milk, money, ale and
coins were made in doable stones (naturally hollowed stones) to give
a good breeze to turn the mill or offer local sailors a swift passages.
Magickal power over the winds was a double-edged sword. It was
popularity feared that angry witches might whistle up storms. hence
the rhyme:

"A whistling and a crowing hen are neither good for God nor men".

In modern magick, raising winds through knot tying provides a powerful
symbolic focus for releasing magickal energies. Knots are no longer
regarded as the province of witches, but the power of the wind can clear
stagnation in your life, blow you in a new direction or carry you forward
to success