We hope you were aware of, and possibly celebrated, the Summer Solstice that just happened this June 21st. The Indigenous Kogi people of Colombia had said that this particular solstice was a turning point for humanity – that Mother Earth needed to feel humans’ commitment to stand with her and assist in her restoration.
 
In early June, Lynne was blessed to be part of a gathering to create such a commitment. The Pachamama Alliance invited 65 global leaders – visionaries, experts, and activists from around the world – to come together for five days with this bold and inspiring purpose: To accelerate an evolutionary leap that transforms our species’ dominant way of being from human supremacy to sacred responsibility and reciprocity with Earth, one another, and all Life.
 
We encourage you to read that purpose a few times. Perhaps the terms “human supremacy” and “sacred reciprocity” are new to you, but we’re sure you can feel in your bones what it would mean for humans to see themselves not as the masters of the Earth but as a part of Nature, interconnected with and responsible for all of life. What a different future would be possible if we humans honored a reciprocal relationship with Earth and each other — giving and taking in ways that are sacred and mutually-enhancing! 
 
This vision is what is currently animating the work of Pachamama Alliance and what motivated the June Gathering at a beautiful farm in Asheville, North Carolina. It was not so much a conference as a Calling, and the creative and committed souls who answered that Call brought their best selves to a week of intense collaboration. Deeply spiritually guided by Indigenous participants from South and North America, the group process was nothing less than miraculous. Eight groups formed to come up with transformational new ideas for actionable initiatives that could create breakthroughs on a global scale. These “Earthshots” are currently under development by teams who are continuing to work together. We’ll share more about them in the future!

We were greatly inspired by this gathering and also by a remarkable expedition to the Arctic Circle during the actual Solstice. We joined 140 amazing people on a boat that toured us through the stunning beauty of ice floes where we witnessed the awesome power of melting glaciers and the plethora of Arctic wildlife: polar bears, orcas, blue whales, dolphins, walruses, seals, narwhals, and what seemed like hundreds of species of birds. 
 
That journey brought together Indigenous representatives of two diverse ecosystems, the Sapmi people of the Arctic and the Sápara people of the Ecuadorian Amazon, who offered ceremonies to honor the spirits that inhabit these two critical places and to generate energy for their protection and restoration.
 
We share these two experiences with you, dear friends, because we are so excited that in the midst of so much challenging news and scary predictions of a global meta-crisis, so many people are rising to the occasion, determined to find pathways to a regenerative future. Mother Earth is calling for a new human consciousness of responsibility and sacred reciprocity, and there is a surge of possibility and power to make that happen. Each of us can play our part, beginning with realizing the privilege of being alive at a time when we can make such a significant difference in altering the course of history.
 
With love and appreciation,

Lynne & Sara