Meadows and mountainsides are coming alive with kaleidoscopic blossoms; July is a prime time for wildflowers, particularly in more temperate regions. It is also a bountiful time for fruits and vegetables in many places around the globe. It's peak season for berries, cherries, peaches, and melons, and vegetables such as tomatoes, corn, and zucchini.

It's also a great season for bird and bug watching. For many bird species, July is a time for them to build nests, lay eggs, and raise their young. One reason for this is an abundance of insects, including fireflies. These bioluminescent insects light up the night skies with their enchanting displays, creating a magical atmosphere during warm summer evenings.

In coastal areas, whale species are known to migrate or feed in particular regions in July, making it an ideal period for spotting these majestic marine mammals in places like Alaska, Iceland, and parts of Australia. Several sea turtle species, such as loggerheads, green turtles, and leatherbacks, undertake their nesting season in this month, coming ashore to lay their eggs in sandy beaches.

Supporting ethical supermarkets for a fairer food system

🌟 We're match funding! 🌟

For a fairer, more sustainable food system, please consider donating to the ‘More than a Shop’ HISBE Crowdfunder – we are matching funds for every £25K milestone they reach!

HISBE stands for How It Should Be. Their range of everyday groceries are all thoughtfully sourced from small, local producers and brands that trade responsibly, fairly and sustainably. This means suppliers get a fair price for quality products, and consumers are conveniently provided with healthier and more ethical options.

HISBE supermarkets deliver back to local people, build local supply chains, and put more money directly into the local economy. They were fellows on our first Blossom Accelerator Programme and we are proud to invest in this passionate and purposeful initiative.

💫 Celebrating Indigenous Wisdom 🏹

🌱 At the LUSH Spring Prize 🌺

In a world shaped by colonial and patriarchal structures, we partnered with LUSH to co-create an award to honour Traditional Ecological Knowledge and support communities practicing it.

Three amazing organisations shared the Ancient and Indigenous Wisdom Award this year:

🌷 Instituto Janeraka from the Awaete indigenous community in the Amazon region of Altamira, Brazil. Janeraka is a word in Awete that means “neither mine nor yours, our house”

🪻Ashiniawka - Sapara Women’s Association in the Ecuadorian Amazon, working on the intersection of women’s rights, agroecology and forest protection

🌹 Resguardo Indígena Musu Runakuna from the Inga people in the Colombian Amazon furthering the revitalisation of the spirit and good living, or “buen vivir”

You can watch some short films about the amazing work they do in our latest blog post.

Flowing Money In Service of Life 🪲

🦋 Join our free webinar

Join us for a discussion with special guests Lynn Murphy and Alnoor Ladha, authors of the groundbreaking book "Post-capitalist Philanthropy: Healing Wealth in Times of Collapse," as well as our very own Seth Tabatznik, co-founder of Be the Earth and 42 Acres on:

July 10, 2023 

4:00 - 5:30pm BST, GMT+1 /8:00 - 9:30 am PDT 

To delve into the historic and current role of money and discuss the values, principles, and processes of a new paradigm that prioritizes life.

Whether you are already on the path of trust-based philanthropy and impact investment or just starting your journey, this webinar will help you align your actions with deeper principles and design practices, processes, and conversations that support this shift within your organization.

🥰 We hope to see you there 🥰

🍄 Next Frontiers conference 🌤️

Unlocking resources in this time of crisis and possibility

"As humans, we have spent enough time repeating what we know doesn't work; we must be bold and experiment with new ways, leading with our heart, with love and compassion."

Renata Minerbo

Join our Head of Philanthropy Renata Minerbo and our Founder Seth Tabatznik, at Next Frontiers - Unlocking resources in this time of crisis and possibility. We are proud to be a curation partner of this conference, hosted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

With 50+ speakers and over 1000 attendees, innovators and changemakers across the philanthropy and investment worlds are coming together to learn from one another, make new connections and discover ways we can influence greater change, together.

Mastery of Business and Empathy (MBE) programme

🌛🌜 Applications now open for 2024 🌛🌜

Drawing from leaders of the world’s best purpose-driven organisations, this MBE run by our friends Small Giants reinvents and extends the traditional MBA into the Next Economy. This program equips visionary leaders with a renewed and regenerative understanding of leadership and business, including the tools, strategies, networks and philosophies to successfully lead a purposeful organisation.

The course explores the role of community and culture, the power of storytelling and communication, the magic of purpose-led operations and governance, the complexity of decision making and strategy, the potential of finance and reporting, and the critical importance of imagination, creativity and flow.

 ✨ The Month Ahead ✨

Solstice and Cancer Season

🦀

Summer has officially arrived (Winter in the Southern Hemisphere), and with the start of Summer (or Winter), the Solstice invites us to find stillness not only in the sky but also within ourselves.

Every year on June 21, the Solstice aligns with the Sun's light moving into the sign of Cancer. During this season, we are being asked to embrace the Great Mother within us. The part of ourselves that will protect and love the inner child, nurture, and nourish our loved ones. In its highest expression, Cancer allows us to feel like we belong, and that we are surrounded by ancestral wisdom and protection.

This Month, there are two significant Astrological transits that are important to integrate:

Venus retrogrades in the constellation of Leo on July 22nd until September 3rd. Venus retrograde mark a time when we might revisit life themes associated with our relationships, romances, values, finances, and beauty.

The North and South Node correlate to the point of destiny for the collective. In July, the nodes will be switching from Taurus-Scorpio axis to the signs of Aries-Libra. When the North Node is in Aries, it asks us to honor autonomy, courage, and initiative to guide the way...

The soul phase that makes Cancer come alive is

"I build a Lighted House and therein dwell."

 Envision your own Lighted House

What does it look like?

What do you see?

Who's in your Lighted House?

May we allow ourselves to care for our Lighted Houses in our communities, families, relationships, and most importantly, within ourselves.

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