As daylight hours expand in the South, the light becomes a deeper shade of yellow. Meanwhile in the Northern Hemisphere, as the night time lingers long into our waking hours, the cold light of our short days takes on a more blueish tinge.

For the vast majority of humans on Earth today, these dramatic changes are largely mitigated by electricity. The ability to control illumination has forever altered our relationship with light.

But for the Jarawa people, living in the tropical forests of the Andaman Islands, the different qualities and varieties of natural light have profound significance. When asked why the Jarawa do not want to leave their forests and live in a settled community, an elder named Enmei gave this reply:

“To go and live in a cleared settlement, with electrical light and houses like the settlers have, would be like when we are hospitalised; constant light in the house, and no tree shade, no fireflies and no stars to see!

To be in the forest we see the dawn and dusk, we feel the change in light, humidity, and temperature; as they change we accordingly move and change homes. Life in the forest is not just dark and bright but shades of illumination and shifts in the darkness due to fire, fireflies and stars.

To move into settlements that tend to be perpetually bright would deny us the capacity to shift and the ability to live with darkness and brightness, to look for various things visible and invisible. By moving between dark and bright places the light and heat within each one of us is retained and enhanced.”

🌟 Scroll to the end for this month's horoscope 🌟

Radical approaches to wealth redistribution

☀️ Watch our webinars 🌈

All of our work at Be The Earth centres relationships, trust, and collaboration.

Two of our flagship programmes are Flow Funding and Giving Circle, both taking an approach to philanthropy that prioritizes 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.

We showcased this work in two webinars held in November, created and led by our Fellows and watched by over a hundred people. We warmly invite you to watch the recordings and experience the power of a wholly trust-based approach to grant-making, led by pioneering women.

🌎 Help make Ecocide an international crime 🌏

The destruction of nature should be illegal

Be The Earth is proud to support the incredible work of Stop Ecocide International in collaboration with five funders as one of our Pool Funds Partnerships.

A few weeks ago, after months of tireless campaigning from Stop Ecocide and a broad coalition of political allies, the European Union agreed to create a new dedicated offence aimed at criminalising “cases comparable to ecocide.” This year has also seen ecocide bills proposed or progressing in Italy, Spain (Catalunya), Mexico, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and Scotland.

Until Tuesday 5th December, every donation to Stop Ecocide International will be matched-funded (doubled) up to a total of £100,000, thanks to biggive.org’s Christmas Challenge. This is vital work led by pioneering women with a clear track record of impact and we warmly encourage you to take this opportunity to support them!

🌾 Oxford Real Farming Conference

Transforming food and farming 🐝

The Oxford Real Farming Conference connects people in the UK and around the globe who want to transform our food and farming system.

With 45+ sessions live-streamed from Oxford, the ORFC 2024 line-up of talks and discussions is not to be missed. Join speakers from the UK and around the world, bringing the movement together to address critical issues, including:

• Farming through economic & ecological crises

• Resisting the financialisation of nature

• Land justice & the commons

• Soil health & strategies for climate resilience

• Farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange

• Youth activism & ancestral practices

• Mental wellbeing & land-based wisdom

• Agroecology as a revolutionary practice

You can view the full 2024 programme here and book tickets below.

Be The Earth is thrilled to be sponsoring this event and we look forward to seeing you there!

🌱 Roots to Regeneration 🌿

For farmers, agriculture professionals and the food industry

Registrations are now open to apply for Roots To Regeneration Transition Programme! This UK-based, one-year programme helps food producers and supply chains speed up the transition to regenerative agriculture, with first intake in February 2024, with enthusiastic support from Be The Earth through our Bridging Partnerships.

The Roots to Regeneration programme takes a holistic approach, offering an unrivalled level of expertise and support. Starting with a three day immersion, followed by farm-based training days; live discussions with leading regenerative farmers, vets and coaches, self-led online learning; fortnightly coaching, and peer-to-peer mentorship.

You can attend an introductory webinar on Monday 11th December 1-2pm and/or 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.

🍄 Nature is marvellously good for your brain 🪸

Time to go outside!

“This growing body of research is demonstrating that we can’t be healthy – that our brains do not work optimally – if we don’t spend time in natural environments. It’s not a luxury – it’s a necessity.”

We loved this article from the Guardian about how spending time in nature has a profound impact on the functioning of our brains. One study found that a four-day hike (with no access to phones or other technology) increased creativity by 50%!

 ✨ Sagittarius Season ✨

Ask thoughtful questions and remain curious

This year's Sagittarius Season began with a Full Moon in Gemini on Monday, November 27. The Full Moon highlighted our ability to listen to others, ask thoughtful questions, and remain curious about life's multiplicities.

Gemini can symbolize a powerful time to build bridges through meaningful dialogue and openness. The Sun will be traveling in the sign of Sagittarius until December 21st reminding us of the seeker that lives within.

Sagittarius is associated with the Wise Sage archetype which encourages us to see life's bigger picture. This is a wonderful month to zoom out and observe if your goals are aligned with the areas where you want to grow.

When we reach Sagittarius' fiery energy after traversing through the depths of Scorpio's water, we are ready to access our inspirational minds so we can expand into new heights!

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