Like many of you, I’ve been in deep contemplation over the pandemic and the collective shifts that are pulsating around the globe as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement. While I’ve been giving myself permission to sit with the pain and complexity of it all, I’ve also been kicking myself, wondering why the work-from-home hacks I tried weren’t making me feel better. Or feeling disappointed that cleaning my house didn’t “fix things.”

From July 22nd to August 21st, the Sun will be in the zodiac sign of Leo. This fire sign comes to us in the height of Summer. Since the Solstice on June 20, the days have been getting shorter, but the heat continues to grow in its intensity and weight. In the natural world, plants and animals are focused on the same thing that they focus on in the Winter: conserving energy.

An Introduction to Summer. This Season begins on the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year. In the Summer, the colors and textures of the natural world truly become vibrant. All manner of species are growing under the long periods of sunlight and the warm days. If it’s been a kind Spring, there is an abundance of food that comes in waves throughout the Summer and into the Fall. Like any Season, Summer has its risks: heatstroke, drought, uncontrollable wildfires.

I just finished watching HRCI’s latest webinar, Alchemizing HR: Navigating What’s Next. Maybe I’m naive, but I was expecting it to include helpful insights and calls to action for HR professionals who are ready to get real about equity in their organizations.

Apparently “what’s next” only includes the coronavirus. Ten minutes in, and there was still no mention of Black Lives Matter, racial justice, or even social unrest. It was clear this webinar was going to be limited to the Covid-19 crisis, further confirming that SHRM and HRCI, the two biggest certification bodies in HR, have got to go.