The SummerLand

We are now approaching the Summer Solstice, this, along with the Winter Solstice, is a special time for me. For some reason I feel that these two aspects of the wheel of the year are somewhat more important, more special, than the other six points on the wheel.
I feel that at summer and particularly winter solstice the universe stops, hesitates and then reverses direction. These are decision points, points of fragility, when the momentum of existence is at its weakest and most prone to changes in direction and emphasis. They are quite simply balance points where the future is most malleable, most open to our input and most at risk.
It is at these times that I feel in honoring, celebrating and acknowledging we can take our place in the long line of people throughout history that have done their bit to nudge the universe back in the right direction.

Does the Universe even care?

Now I know that the solstice is just a perception based on the earth and its orbit around the Sun, and winter / summer just a viewpoint dependant on which hemisphere you happen to live in. I know that even if nobody bothered to celebrate or witness the Solstice that things would progress as usual, the Sun would still rise and the seasons still come in their turn. I know that we are just passengers on the cosmic merry-go-round.
But what if it wasn’t quite as simple as that? Can the simple act of observing influence the outcome of an event? Can a single person, an insignificant force in the scale of the universe, have any impact on the way cosmic events transpire?
Even though it might seem that something insignificantly small would be able to cause an effect that the rest of the world could see and feel, scientists tell us that the very smallest things can have a large impact. They have also found that these very small events are also very strange in that they seem to require somebody to observe them before they ‘decide’ on their outcome.
Schrodinger performed a famous thought experiment, where he set up in his mind, a situation where the result depended on how a radioactive particle decayed, something smaller or seemingly insignificant it’s hard to imagine. But in his thought experiment this infinitesimal event would not only result in life or death for something but that until somebody observed what had happened the whole universe would be poised on a knife edge, not knowing which way to fall.
It seems that the act of an observer, Me, you, all of us, looking and observing, just being present at an event is needed to force the universe to decide what to do, what path to take out of the many, many possibilities.

Is anybody watching?

So perhaps, just perhaps, what look like grand celestial events such as the solstice are not as immune to influence as we would think. Perhaps at certain points, at certain times, the universe needs to decide an outcome. And perhaps it is in observing, witnessing and interacting with the solstice that we can provide that ‘push’ that enables the universe to make its decision.
Maybe that’s what has been happening all these years, since humans first looked up and saw the night sky, realised that the sun moved back and forth and that the seasons had a rhythm. Maybe witnessing the solstices throughout history, a long line of people have helped the universe develop and chose. So perhaps, just perhaps, the solstice needs us to be there to witness it for the universe to decide to reverse its course and begin the cycle again.
And perhaps, just perhaps my witnessing the sun on these days helps, in ever so small a way, helps the cycle of the universe and existence proceed on it way, deciding to move in a way that also recognizes the existence of me, and others. And in some way maintain the contact between us and the greater existence.

And if we didn’t?

Now I am not suggesting that if I, or someone, doesn’t witness the solstices that the world will end! Or even that ‘we’ will notice the difference. After all there is always somebody / something to observe the solstice. The trees and plants. Rabbits and eagles will all see the sun rise on Solstice morning and in their way witness the new day.
But perhaps if we, humans, do not witness the Solstice then maybe the connection of the Deity with us will weaken just a little. Maybe the Goddess will notice our lack of interest and turn a little form us.

So I will be there on Midsummer, on the hillside of my childhood memories, watching the sunrise and being witness to the Solstice. And if nothing else I will feel the connection to those that have been before and witnessed the Solstice sunrise and to those yet to come who will continue the ritual and I will be one of that long line. Alone on the day but amongst many others of similar mind in the expanse of time.