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Moving Spirits
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Mountains on Shikoku island, Japan
Waterfall and rural shrine in Japan
"If they don't circle around a central place where you spirits could reside, maybe today's people don't need spirits for their places any more.""We think they do, but we are going to have to be flexible and keep moving.""How will that work?""In the past I had my territory, my neighbor had another. The borders were fuzzy but we got along. Then there were the smaller spirits, and of course the higher-ups with rights in all the areas, but by and large we worked territories that centered around some monument or some natural feature. I remember my first waterfall. . .""It's quite a come down to be in this fountain?""But I've had it with waterfalls. Boring. Rabbits and birds, the occasional pilgrim and maybe a dinky little yearly festival. There's more going on here all the time. Technology gives us more freedom, too."