The Ides of March: A Time for Reflection and Renewal

Have you ever heard of the ‘Ides of March’?

Despite having studied astrology and its connection to Greek and Roman mythology for decades, I had never heard of the ‘Ides of March’ until about 4 weeks ago 😮

The nature of my day job is that I am online everyday… all day 😊 It was in the last few days of February when in one of my online searches an article popped up called ‘Beware of the Ides of March’. Feeling curious about what this online article was referring to, I clicked on it.

The article went on to explain how March 15th is famously known as the ‘Ides of March’ and is commonly associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE; with Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar seeming to have immortalized this event.

As I willingly continued down this rabbit hole on this particular morning, I further discovered that one of Julius Caesar’s most enduring legacies is his reform of the Roman calendar. Before his rule, the Romans used a lunar-based calendar system.

In 46 BCE (2 years before his assassination), Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar. The Julian Calendar was a solar-based system inspired by the Egyptian calendar and established a 365-day year with a leap year every four years. The political leaders of the time endorsed this new calendar citing it would bring much-needed structure and accuracy.

This early Julian calendar still incorporated terms like "Ides" from the early Roman calendar which simply referred to the middle of the month. Because the early Roman calendar was based on lunar cycles, the ‘Ides’ of each month marked the full moon or middle of each Roman Calendar month.

What we know today as March was known as Martius in the early Roman calendar. Martius referred to the Roman god of war and guardian of agriculture… therefore, the ‘Ides of Martius’ marked a time of religious observance and celebration dedicated to the arrival of spring and the renewal of life. It was the fateful betrayal and assassination in 44 BCE of Julius Caesar by his closest allies during the Ides of Martius that the Ides became synonymous with caution, betrayal, and upheaval.

The Astrological Connection

Astrologically, the Ides of March falls in the heart of Pisces season, a deeply intuitive and emotional time that prepares us for the renewal of Aries season and the astrological new year. Pisces, ruled by Neptune, invites introspection, spiritual growth, and a release of old wounds before stepping into the fiery and new growth energy of Aries.

As I discovered all I have shared with you so far, that February morning a little more than four weeks ago, I scoffed a little and decided that the ‘Ides of March’ would not scare me! I chalked my morning of research up to some fun facts and proceeded on with life ♥

Why did is share all of this??

Well, come with me as I share what my March 2025 has been like…

I live in one city and work in another, so every week I travel along Hwy 2 in Alberta to get to and from work. I have been doing this since June of 2024. Since September 2024, I have had moments of worry as I wondered about all the possible winter road conditions that I would have to experience this winter going from one major city to another along the busiest highway in my province. By the end of February, I gratefully realized I had experienced nothing but AMAZING winter road conditions so far.

Then March arrives…

Within the first few days of March, my car dies while travelling on the very busy HWY 2. The mechanic at the dealership to which I had my car towed, tells me that I have a giant hole in the bottom of my motor – WHAT!? This giant hole caused all the oil to pour out of my car and in turn, ceased my motor and cause my car to die… on the spot.

The mechanic tells me his best guess is that something hit the undercarriage of my car on the highway. So, I have spent the entire month of March working with insurance adjusters to get a payout of my beautiful car so I can properly release her! Her name was Penelope… or Penny for short ♥ Thankfully I had another car I have been able to use during this time, but I will miss Penny and remember her with great fondness!

Moving on to winter driving conditions… I have mostly seen March as spring. Winter driving happens in December and January, and maybe a little in November and February, right?  For me, this year, March has been the ONLY month that I have experience winter driving conditions…. EXTREME winter driving conditions… week after week… the worst of which was last week with multiple vehicles in the ditch and a few multi-car pill ups causing highway closures 😯

Then on to my day job… my work load has doubled and it seems that no matter how many days I work 10 or 11 hours I do not get to the end of my infamous ‘to-do’ list!!

Embracing the Energy of the Ides

So what does all this mean??

All I can speak to is what this means to me… When intense experiences like this show up for me it is usually because I am ignoring or trying to out-maneuver some sort of truth in my life. As I reflect on this past month and all the chaos that accompanied it, I embrace the truth that is staring me in the face…

I am an entrepreneur who dreams of being in-service to the communities that I get to be a part of… and this is not the life I am living right now 🤔

Remembering back to the end of February when I scoffed at and dismissed the concept of the ‘Ides of March’ I have to laugh at myself today. I feel as though the universe went to much effort to get my attention… so I am committing to taking notice of what the messages might be for me in all this 😊

Pausing, breathing and reflecting on this past month I realize that there is wisdom hidden in the chaos. Chaos shakes things up, brings awareness to the forefront and often presents a fork in our current path! My ‘Ides of March’ chaos is an invitation of to give myself permission to explore what I REALLY want!

Instead of feeling victimized by all that transpired for me this past month, I remember to breathe deeply and pause as I give myself loving permission to embrace the shitty, frustrated and pissed off feelings. I embrace the overwhelm, sadness and shadow of what I am going through. I thank myself for being strong and I assure myself that being mad, sad or scared doesn’t make me weak. I accept and love myself through it all!

By being gentle with myself through these yucky feelings, I actually move through them quicker. For me, when I am asked, “What do you REALLY want out of life, Debbi?’ I rarely have an answer! For me it most often requires that I really examine what I do NOT want first… from there I can then create space to consider what it is that I DO want.

What lights me up?

What makes my heart happy and my mind peaceful?

How do I really want to spend the hours I am given each day?

The concept of the Ides of March have definitely made their impression on me! I have not ‘figured it all out’ (whatever ‘it’ means), but I’m curious as to what some of my next steps will be.

I have spent time this past weekend meditating, journalling and reflecting. I truly believe the chaos of this past month for me has been a form of personal and spiritual transformation. Years ago, one of my teachers said that when you go through hard times it is similar to when gold gets melted down for the purpose of boiling out the impurities so that the purest form of the gold can immerge…

This what we are all doing… every experience we have has the potential to make us shinier, more refined and precious than before. Your brilliance is beautiful and as we shine and share our brilliance together we truly do make the world a better place not just for ourselves but everyone.

If you, like me, have had an eventful March, or if your March has been peaceful and calm I would like to share with you a few ways to harness this Spring Fever type energy:

• Reflection & Release: Take time to journal about any emotional baggage or limiting beliefs that you’re ready to release. Meditate on what has been holding you back and visualize yourself letting it go.

• Honoring Your Intuition: Pisces energy is deeply intuitive, making this a powerful time to tune into your inner wisdom. Pay attention to your dreams, synchronicities, and gut feelings. Consider pulling tarot or oracle cards for insight.

• Ritual for Renewal: Engage in a simple but meaningful ritual. Light a white candle, write down something you wish to release, and safely burn the paper as a symbolic act of letting go. Follow this by writing a positive intention for what you want to invite into your life.

• Clearing Out the Old: Decluttering isn’t just for spring cleaning—it’s also an energetic reset. Organize your home, cleanse your space with sage or incense, and remove anything that carries stagnant energy. This can also apply to relationships or commitments that no longer align with your path.

• Strengthening Boundaries: Just as Caesar’s betrayal reminds us to be mindful of our relationships, use this time to evaluate your personal boundaries. Are you giving too much of yourself away? Are there energy drains that need to be addressed? This is a great time to reinforce self-care and say no when needed.

• Connecting with Nature: The Ides of March was originally a celebration of renewal and the coming of spring. Take a walk in nature, breathe in fresh air, and ground yourself in the changing season. This can be a perfect time to plant seeds—both literally and metaphorically—for what you want to grow in the months ahead.

• Embracing Change: The Ides may have gained a reputation for upheaval, but transformation is a necessary part of growth. Trust that endings create space for new beginnings, and welcome the shifts that are unfolding in your life.

A Time of Awakening

While history may warn us to "beware" the Ides of March, astrology and spiritual wisdom invite us to embrace it. It is a time to shed the past, honor the lessons we’ve learned, and step forward with clarity and renewed purpose.

The cycles of life, just like the cycles of the Moon, remind us that endings are always the doorway to the beginning of something new. So, as April is upon us, join me in asking yourself:

What am I ready to release?

What am I ready to create?

May this season bring you insight, renewal, and a profound appreciation of the unique and sparkly being you already are 💖💫🤩