On the cusp of a new cycle, let us weave our reflections into a tapestry of gratitude for the wisdom gained, the growth nurtured, and the new strengths earned through this earthly orbit we called 2023. This year has been unique, but much like those preceding it, this has been an intricate dance of beginnings and endings, a testament to the ceaseless rhythms of change that weave the cloth of our existence.

Cycles are the fabric of nature, the foundations of our cultures, and are etched into the patterns of our lives. These poignant seasonal moments are an invitation to embrace the timeless rhythm of life's perpetual journey and notice how we are never standing still, that existence is not a state but a process and we are always moving forward.

Nature, our timeless guide, whispers her lessons through the changing seasons, mirroring the ebbs and flows of our own journeys; embracing the warmth of springtime triumphs, weathering the heat of summer challenges, revelling in the vibrant hues of autumnal change, and seeking solace in the introspective embrace of winter's quietude.

As the 2023 cycles closes and we look ahead to 2024, we wish you and your loved ones joy, peace, and prosperity in the year to come from all of us at Be The Earth.

🌟 Scroll down for your end of year horoscope 🌟

Celebrating 2023

❤️ Thank you for sharing this year with us 🙏

Like a fungal network, our purpose is to create connection and provide nourishment across the ecosystems we operate in.

This year it has been our great privilege to host a series of special, intimate events, both in person and online, to nourish our spirits, build community, and inspire individual and collective action towards a world that nurtures all beings.

🐝 Our Annual Gatherings 🌻

Our Annual Gatherings in the UK, Brazil and South Africa brought our local networks together in person. In the lush regenerative landscapes of 42 Acres, Terra Luminous and Boschendal, we reconnected with our purest selves, reignited our collective purpose, and listened deeply to the voice of nature.

We invite you to join us for a moment at these gatherings by watching our two short videos to see how supporting the whole human and creating meaningful connections across diverse communities can help us build a world that nurtures all beings.

🐞 Webinars 🌺

We have been honoured with a wider audience this year through our online webinars, some reaching over 100 people from across the globe. Back in July, we had the pleasure of participating in Flowing Money in Service of Life: From Awareness to Action, an online discussion with Lynn Murphy and Alnoor Ladha, authors of the groundbreaking book "Post-capitalist Philanthropy: Healing Wealth in Times of Collapse."

In the autumn we held two webinars, co-created with our Fellows, on radical approaches to trust-based philanthropy guided by feminine intelligence. Our Flow Funding and Giving Circle programmes take approaches to philanthropy that prioritize nurturing, inclusivity, and relationship-building to democratise the redistribution of wealth, minimise bureaucracy, and allow funds to reach people and projects beyond the scope of traditional philanthropy.

Anticipating 2024

🌱 So much to look forward to! 🍄

We Feed The UK

Worm charmers, wildflower whisperers, carbon capturers, insect allies: regenerative farmers are working with nature in a time-honoured team, to nourish both people and planet. We Feed The UK is a nationwide storytelling campaign celebrating our custodians of biocultural diversity, launching in February 2024 at Liverpool's Open Eye Gallery and continuing throughout the year.

beVisioneers

beVisioneers is a global fellowship that equips innovators aged 16 to 28 with the training, expert support and resources to bring their planet-positive projects to life. This program is free of charge to all Fellows and provides basic living and technology support for those who could not otherwise participate, so please do pass on this opportunity to anyone you know who might benefit from it!

Journey to Impact

Learn how to use your capital as a force for good on the Journey to Impact Programme. This six-part virtual program hosted by Small Giants Academy will guide you in designing your impact investing strategy, transitioning your portfolio, and provide you with a network of like-minded peers to explore how to use private capital to manifest and implement personal and family values – for current and future generations.

Roots to Regeneration

This UK-based, one-year programme helps food producers and supply chains speed up the transition to regenerative agriculture, led by two highly regarded regenerative agriculture consultants and farmers, Caroline Grindrod and Clare Hill, with first intake in February 2024. You can attend a taster day at Planton Farm on Tuesday 9th January 2024, or book a 20-minute call to see if this program might be a good fit for you.

Oxford Real Farming Conference

With 45+ sessions live-streamed from Oxford, the #ORFC24 online line-up of talks and discussions is not to be missed. Join speakers from the UK and around the world to celebrate 15 years of bringing the real food and farming movement together. From a fringe protest of 50 people to a global gathering of 5000 in 2023, the Oxford Real Farming Conference brings the grassroots movement together to lead the way towards a fairer food and farming system in the UK and beyond.

🙏 Gratitude and reciprocity 🤝

Let's share the abundance we're blessed with

If you have a little extra left over after your holiday celebrations and would like to help give someone else a better year in 2024, here are some amazing organisations whose work lives our values and helps manifest our shared visions.

Grow our Valley

Grow our Valley is an initiative created by women in Cape Town activating meaningful, sustainable solutions to end systemic poverty and unemployment for women in marginalised communities. The vision is to uplift, support and empower women with skills training and 'start up kits' - including resources - to work co-operatively in sisterhood together to create crafts, services and products that will help generate income to support their families and wider community.

SLASA

The Single Leg Amputee Sports Association (SLASA) was set up in Sierra Leone as the war ended in 2001. A group of young amputees wanted to continue enjoying their favourite sport, football, and to promote peace in their communities. SLASA has grown to 350 members in six teams – both male and female. SLASA seeks to change the negative perception of Sierra Leone’s amputee community and to foster hopes to war victims that “We are not mere victims of war but Ambassadors of Peace”.

Frente Alimenta

Frente Alimenta bridges the gap between small family farmers on the outskirts of São Paulo and vulnerable urban neighbourhoods. They channel the power of agroecological production to ensure that fresh healthy, and balanced meals reach those who need them most. Collaborating with small-scale farmers and working with different community kitchens in the outskirts of São Paulo, they were able to distribute 111,000 meals last year to people experiencing hunger in the city - a total of 29 tonnes of produce!

Casa Ancestral Janeraka–Belém

 The Ancestral House Janeraka–Belém aims to co-create a space for resistance and strengthening of ancestral connections for local indigenous communities in the Amazon. A place of coexistence, active and empathetic listening, assistance and social justice for individuals and families of forest peoples such as ribeirinhos (people that live alongside rivers), quilombolas (Black resistance communities) and Indigenous people who need to be in the capital of Pará. This type of care takes into account the unique cultures of the peoples of the forest, their worldviews, histories, individual and collective traumas – especially of peoples who suffer constant violence in contact with the urban city.

 ✨ The Winter Solstice ✨

Reflection and Recalibration

The Solstice is taking place this Thursday, December 21st marking the beginning of a new season. In the Northern Hemisphere, we're transitioning into Winter, whereas in the Southern Hemisphere, we're experiencing the longest days of the year with the beginning of Summer.

This is also the time of the year when we move from fiery and inspirational Sagittarius into the commitment and hard work of Capricorn season. The energy of Capricorn reminds us of our responsibilities, loyalty, and discipline as we aim to build new projects and plan to climb ambitious mountains in the year ahead.

It's important to stay mindful that Mercury is currently retrograde until Jan 1st. Use the next few weeks of the holidays for self-reflection and recalibration...reminding ourselves that we can start the new year by finding peace and comfort in our rest. By the time Mars enters Capricorn on Jan 4 and the New Moon in Capricorn occurs on Jan 11, we'll be ready to start moving towards our highest goals!

 For more info on this month's cycles, follow @bru_maia on IG!