We are leaving the month of March and the sabbat of Ostara. The sun is moving out of the Spring Equinox, where light and dark are equals but shifting towards LIGHT – and we and the lands respond! The birds build their nests, the roses begin to bloom and a restless energy is in the air as the spirit of liberation is given shape. What follows is an awakening of the land that leads us to Beltane!

I first discovered Anglo-Saxon Runes (also called Northumbrian Runes) in a small witch shop in the Pacific Northwest. They had several sets, some carved on antler, some shaped like acorns, and even some carved on coyote bone that were quite tricksie. It was there that they started to speak to me and guide my spirit.

For April I drew 3 runes at random with the question “What do we in the Green Man community need to know for this month?” I drew from a 33-tile Anglo Saxon set carved onto persimmon wood. The Anglo-Saxon runes encompass the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark plus 9 additional runes.

The runes drawn are Cen (also known as Ken or Kennaz), Rad (Raido) and Wyn (or Wunjo).

All three are part of the 1st Aett (1st set of 8 runes) sometimes called Freyja’s Aett in the Elder Futhark. If we think of these as a pantheon of realms and spirits, then as a whole they can be seen as representing worldly forces and lean into our physical reality in these areas: Wealth in cattle (Feh or Fehu), strength for survival (Ur or Uruz), and so on. But as we look deeper into these we see these runes carry weight beyond the material world and provide even more insight.

1st rune: Cen

#6 in the first Aett, Cen is also called Ken or Kennaz and represents a torch and knowledge. In context of our three runes, it speaks to clarity, enlightenment, and illumination of the spirit.

2nd rune: Rad

#5 in the first Aett, Rad is also known as Raido or Radho, and it represents a journey or travel.

3rd rune: Wyn

Our final rune Wyn is rune #8 of the first Aett, and is also called Wunjo. It commonly means joy or bliss.

All Three Together

Cen is the fire of life and the fire of community; but also represents the internal fire of illumination – does it light the way to the commune with ancestors for resilience in these times? Or perhaps liberation of body and spirit? I think for us to be healthy we need to embrace both paths at the moment and find our way through.

The word ‘Cen’ also evokes the word ‘Cern’, which means ‘horns’ or ‘horned’… like the spirits Herne and Cernunnos or the cornucopia, the ‘horn of plenty’. And in latin ‘cern’ also means to sift, separate or perceive – such as in the word ‘discern.’ I feel the mystery of Baphomet in this, the light of illumination between their horns; recognizing extremes but avoiding them both, choosing the path between.

Rad is the axis of this reading. It conjures movement of all kinds, like the rhythm of the road, the cadence of hoofbeats or the beat of a drum. The heartbeat of life itself resides in movement through the world, not through intellectual ideas or mental practices. It’s sometimes read as ‘riding’ which has all kinds of connections to witchcraft – the horseman mysteries, toad bone lore, horseshoes. But we can also look at these in a simpler fashion: Are your emotions riding you, or are you riding them?

The relationship of Rad to Cen really stands out to me. There’s strong potential for a shift in your awareness and understanding of your own draconic spirit, the movement of the dragons in the land and the relationship between the two. The timing is perfect: Leaving winter with the shift in light at Ostara leading to the awakening of life itself at Beltane. We can listen to this divine movement in the heavens and bring it into ourselves. Getting out into nature this month seems a simple way to put this in practice.

This also ties in beautifully to a slightly more Anglo-Saxon interpretation of Wyn: joy and bliss are not an end goal but rather a process that one pursues, a journey of the spirit towards neither happiness nor diversion, but creative fulfillment. Our divine purpose. That which lights your spirit on fire for all to see. And we find that more easily when we chase what our spirit craves. In Rad and Wyn I see a darker side to this journey that suggests that April will look a lot like March and will not be easy. There’s also something to be said for balance, and not to ignore the events as they unfold but to see them for what they are and use our sight to discern the path to defending one’s peace. Taking the bad with the good, but avoiding over-indulgence in either direction and budgeting the doomscrolling with creative pursuits (and liberating mischief, ‘flipping the script’) to keep your inner fire stoked.

There’s a clear theme of a journey of community in these three runes which ties in perfectly to the time where we’re in right now. Making time for community and fellowship and to lean on one another is a great way through… this (gestures vaguely everywhere). We can follow the lead of the liberated spirit of Ostara for cues as to which paths to follow and which do not serve us. Knowing thyself will be paramount at this time so we can be proactive about our own self-care.