September is a time of change and transition. The equinox occurred on the 23rd this year, and this astronomical event symbolises the shifting balance between light and darkness, a milestone marking the changing seasons.

In the Northern Hemisphere, September marks the transition from summer to autumn. The days begin to shorten and temperatures start to cool, turning green leaves vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Many animals are beginning to prepare for winter. Birds migrate southward to warmer regions, and some mammals begin hoarding sustenance in anticipation of the colder months. Squirrels and other small mammals start gathering and storing food, while larger animals like bears begin to fatten themselves up in preparation for hibernation.

Different cultures around the world have festivals in September that mark transitions, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival in China or the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which marks the Jewish New Year and is a time of reflection and renewal.

September marks the beginning of the school year in many parts of the world, and this association remains with many of us throughout our adult lives, making this month a particularly fertile moment for new starts: starting a new job, moving to a new place, or setting personal goals for the season.

UK Annual Gathering

🌻 Nurturing the whole human 🌻

In glorious late summer sunshine, we hosted our UK Annual Gathering at the idyllic 42 Acres. We invited the Fellows, partners, and friends of Be The Earth based in the UK to spend some relaxing quality time together, to get to know each other and reconnect with nature.

In this video, Renata Minerbo, Head of Philanthropy, explains how Be The Earth Annual Gatherings serve to cherish and nourish the people in our network. Be The Earth works with the whole human, celebrating the rich spirit in each of us and tending to the needs of body and soul.

We are all so much more than the work we do, and we are worth so much more than our economic productivity. Seeing and caring for our fullest selves lies at the heart of building a world that nurtures all beings.

At the end of the retreat, we shared our collective visions for what this world might look like. The poet Liv Torc wove together our reflections to create a poem, which you can watch on our website.

Journey to the radical frontiers of philanthropy

☀️ Join our free 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, and these approaches to philanthropy 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.

These programmes share power with experienced activists and visionary leaders, who receive and allocate philanthropic funds based on trust, intuition, and their intimate understanding of grassroots work in their communities.

We are showcasing this work in two upcoming webinars, created and led by our Fellows. We warmly invite you to come along and experience the power of a wholly trust-based approach to grantmaking, led by pioneering women.

🌜 Celebrating Feminine Intelligence 🌛

At the FemmeQ Summit

Feminine intelligence is an innate wisdom that lives in all of us and invites us to tune into our instincts, intuition, and heart's wisdom. It means understanding the power in active listening, trust, reciprocity, care, nurturing and many other values that are wrongly denigrated in a world that places disproportionate emphasis on characteristics attributed to the masculine. This is not about replacing one paradigm with another, but harmonising the strengths of both.

Be The Earth is proud to be a sponsor and partner of the 6th FemmeQ International Summit is taking place October 24th - 27th, 2023, in Strasbourg, France. This event amplifies the voices of women and empowers those who are applying feminine intelligence to catalyse the transformation needed to create a flourishing future for all.

There are still places left to book, and we hope to see you there!

🌸 Wellbeing workshops with Andy Chaleff 🌸

With a 10% discount for our subscribers

“When we lose touch with our emotions, we risk becoming strangers to ourselves, unable to understand or process our thoughts and feelings effectively… My mission is to provide a safe and supportive space for individuals to explore their emotions, gain insight into their inner selves, and learn valuable tools to reconnect with the world around them.” – Andy Chaleff

Author, speaker, mentor, and friend of Be The Earth, Andy Chaleff, is holding a series of workshops at the beautiful and nourishing 42 Acres retreat centre:

Relationship Insights Game

Friday, October 13, 2023

Transforming Your Money Consciousness

Saturday, October 14, 2023

The Last Letter

Friday, October 20, 2023

The Wounded Healer

Saturday, October 21, 2023

We are deeply honoured to be able to offer a 10% discount to readers of this newsletter! Book your place now, using the code ‘BTE’ to access this special offer.

🌿 Amazon Bioeconomy Grants 🌱

Accelerating forest-positive bioeconomies across the Amazon

Calling NGOs, companies and cooperatives, the Amazon Bioeconomy Small Grant Evaluation Facility is inviting submissions of proposals for up to $100,000. The top proposals will be shared with a group of over 30 donors.

The Amazon Investor Coalition is a global learning-and-collaboration platform that unites philanthropies, private investors and corporate buyers with governments, nonprofits and allies to increase forest-friendly economic development and the rule of law across the Amazon region.

 🍄 "I realised this desire for control and that I needed to let go"

Abby Rose's Giving Circle Story 🪻

The Giving Circle Programme was developed by Be the Earth to share power with experienced activists. With an emergent and innovative methodology, Giving Circle allocates part of Be the Earth's budget to projects, individuals, and communities that are chosen collectively by activists and experienced leaders on the ground.

In our latest Story, Abby Rose shares reflections on her experiences as part of Be The Earth's Giving Circle programme. She explores challenges and rewards on this journey, and shares the work of Misery Party and the community they have created around Misery Medicine multi-sensory walks, one of the projects funded by Giving Circle.

 ✨ Supermoon in Aries ✨

Balancing co-operation and individuality

On September 29th, we have a Full Supermoon in the fiery sign of Aries.

Libra Season highlights our relationships and helps us understand where we can find a greater balance in how we connect with others. As the Moon reaches Aries, the opposite sign of Libra, we're being asked to integrate our courage, assertiveness, and autonomy within our partnerships. This energy is "both/and."

On the Full Moon, we must also look to the ruler of Aries, the planet Mars. The planet of action is traveling through Libra, near the Sun. Mars in Libra can bring up our challenges with directness where we might find ourselves falling into conflict avoidance. However, Mars in Libra strives for peace and it can be that force within us that is passionate for justice.

This Full Moon calls us to find the right balance where we be cooperative and also not lose sight of our higher goal. How are you balancing between cooperation and individuality?

Trust that you can honor both.

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