After my wetlands visit where I was told not to take anything out except the plastic plant pot someone had left behind, I started thinking about how this particular place has given me tasks more than once, and otherwise isn't very interested in me. That doesn't surprise me -(1/?)

LOADS of humans go there every day, why should the spirit of the place give a rat's ass about me? They only talk to me at all because I can hear them and am willing to do the favors they ask of me (mostly picking up trash). BUT today it got me thinking about (2/?)

The idea of reciprocity with the Land. And it isn't a simple case of "if I pick up trash here, the Land will let me take home pretty treasures." Because there's no way in hell any one of us witches can do enough to pay the Land back for all humans are currently taking. (3?)

Now, it's POSSIBLE the Land will let you have treasures sometimes. There are still plants and stones who wish to do things that work better with human collaboration. BUT. EVEN IF we pick up trash, EVEN IF we advocate for the environment, EVEN IF we give healing energy? (4/?)

The Land doesn't owe us anything. Any action we take for their benefit doesn't even begin to balance out what has been taken with zero reciprocity at best, and with devastating harm at worst. So if I go to the wetlands and they tell me to pick up trash and not take anything (5/?)

I'm going to listen. And I'm not going to feel slighted that I was asked for help and not "rewarded". Everything I have - EVERYTHING - was already given to me by the Land, or in most cases TAKEN from the Land without permission and without respect. (6/?)

It is the very least I can do to pick up the trash left by other careless humans. Reciprocity is a beautiful concept but I think we all have a long way to go in understanding it better. Thank you for listening to these thoughts as they occurred to me. (End).