As human beings evolved from being hunter-gatherers to cultivating land and crops, we shifted our mindset when it comes to harvest. With a planted field, it makes sense to harvest all that is available, especially as we became more specialized as a society and not everyone has a garden, so those who plant crops provide for many people, not just themselves.
But as Pagans, we often go out into nature and wild harvest, gathering plants, nuts fruits (and other bits and bobs) for our practice, and we need to make sure we are being responsible and mindful when we harvest from nature.
On a purely physical level, if we take everything we find, especially if we clear an area out of a particular plant or resource, we deplete the area. This can not only make it harder for us to find the same things at a later date, but it can deprive the wild critters who live in that area from the things we have harvested as well.
On a spiritual level, we should always seek to give something back when we take, even if that something is a pour of fresh water, an expression of our gratitude and a blessing on the land so that it can provide for us in the future.
But I think it goes deeper than that as well. When we wild harvest, we aren't devoting our time and energy to growing what we want to harvest, we typically are wandering about, hunting for what we seek. And spending the time to consider what else may benefit from the things we are harvesting helps us build that connection to both the land and the other beings who dwell there.
Many of the things we wish to gather are plentiful, but when they are not, we need to be extra mindful of what we take. If it's been a dry year, and the fruits are not in abundance, we may decide it best to take only a few things and to leave the majority for the native residents who might be relying on those foods to survive.
You may find that you also pick which things to harvest differently, in sparse years, depending on what you plan to do with your harvest. If you are looking for edible things, then of course you want to find ones that are ripe and not damaged, but if you are looking for spell ingredients you might leave some of the best options for others who are searching for food, choosing to take damage or overripe options instead (especially if you are planning on transforming them in some way or if you are making use of the seeds and don't need your harvest to be pristine).
And if you are taking other materials, like stones or wood, it is always good to keep in mind where you are harvesting from. If I am picking a branch from a tree, I can look for a branch that is growing in a difficult place or that perhaps has taken some damage already. Don't just think about what you need, but consider what would help the tree (or at least what would cause the least harm).
I should also note that it is best if you do your research for any animal related things. If you are wanting anything that might be part of an animal's home (like a bird nest or such), you may want to learn how to tell when a nest has been abandoned, so you aren't displacing someone. Sometimes even spending too much time around an animal's home can disturb them (especially if they have young), so being aware of your environment and trying to disturb the natural world as little as possible is a great goal to keep in mind.
Nature has a lot to offer us, and in most cases more than we would need. But that doesn't mean we should take it for granted, and we should always strive to work in harmony with the world around us, to share what is available, and to leave the world in a better state than we found it. This will do so much more for our practice than that extra herb or stone.
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