Young Voices: Cathrine Suddarth published in the Arizona Daily Star

Yule is a Wiccan holiday that falls on the winter solstice. And to me, it is more personal and less materialistic than Christmas. Yule is about renewal and rebirth in different forms. Many celebrants perform rituals and tell stories about how Wicca came to be. On Yule, gifts are given, but they’re usually different than the gifts people get at Christmas. Instead of that iPod everyone seems to lust for, I would rather get candles, books and herbs.

Around Christmas, many people have parties, gift exchanges and family gatherings. One of my favorite things about celebrating Yule is that I do it alone. I am a solitary practitioner, which simply means that I don’t have a group of other Wiccans that I worship with. In the future, I would like to join a small coven, but for now the quiet time alone is refreshing, and rare for me.¬† Yule encourages me to think about what I need to change in my life, and not just things like my style. I reflect on how I can better the world and myself and be more stable and successful. How I can be more respectful to others and myself and deal with my anger.

I also celebrate by making a list of my favorite and least favorite moments from the past year. Then I list what I plan on doing this upcoming year: Stop having outbursts with Mom, get along better with the kids at school and save money so my mom and I can move. Anytime I think about Yule I think about the divine and the gifts I have received: I live with my mom again; I have found a good school; I have a cat named Benson; and I have an on-again, off-again boyfriend who cares about me. To me, Yule is a reflection on the choices I’ve made. It is the beginning of changing.