In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb (And What the Sky Has to Do With It)

March has always felt like a riddle to me.

One morning you're pulling out your winter coat again. By afternoon, the sun is warm enough to fool you into thinking spring has finally arrived. Here in Indiana, that's not just a saying—it's a lived experience. March is unpredictable, unsettled, and a little bit wild. If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes.

We've been saying it for centuries: In like a lion, out like a lamb.

For most of my life, I assumed that phrase was purely about weather. A nod to the chaos of early March and the gentler days that (hopefully) follow. But recently, I discovered something I hadn't considered—the saying has roots in the stars.

The Sky Has Been Telling This Story for a Long Time

When that phrase first took hold, people were watching the constellations closely. In early March, Leo the Lion rises in the eastern sky. By the end of the month, Aries the Ram—the lamb—settles into the west as Leo fades. The lion enters. The lamb closes things out.

That's not coincidence. That's the sky literally dramatizing the same arc we feel on the ground.

And this March, the sky has something else to say.

March 3rd: When the Planets Align

On March 3rd, we have a full moon and a lunar eclipse—what's often called a blood moon, when the earth's shadow falls across the moon and turns it a deep, striking red.

I'll be honest with you: I used to brush past things like this. Horoscopes, astrology, and the moon’s phase were simply fun to think about, but didn’t seem rooted in much evidence.

But here's what changed my mind.

Early in my career, I worked in a hospital setting. Even though I was a ‘non-clinical’ team member, I remember being surprised to learn that ER departments and OB units actually adjust their staffing around the full moon. Not because of superstition—but because the data told them to. The patterns were real and consistent enough that ignoring them would have been irresponsible.

Talk to school administrators or a classroom teacher sometime. Ask them about the energy in the building when the moon is full. Watch their face.

Talk to a police officer or a sheriff's deputy. Same reaction.

These are practical, pragmatic professionals. And yet almost universally, they'll tell you: something shifts. The energy. The mood.

So when I learned that on 3/3 we'd have a full moon, a lunar eclipse, and a rare planetary alignment that astronomers take note of—I stopped dismissing it and started paying attention.

What Does Any of This Have to Do With Work?

More than you might think.

March is a threshold month. It sits between what was and what's coming. And if you lead people—whether you're an HR professional navigating organizational change or a school administrator trying to hold your team together through the final stretch of the year—you know this feeling intimately.

This is the time of year when the tension is real. People are tired. The initial energy of January has worn off. But spring—and everything it promises—hasn't quite arrived yet.

We're in the lion phase. We’re hanging on for the lamb phase of the year.

And that liminal space? It's actually a gift—if you know how to use it.

Leading Through the Threshold

The research I keep coming back to, including Gallup's work on employee engagement, consistently shows that the teams who weather uncertainty best aren't the ones that pretend it doesn't exist. They're the ones with leaders who name it.

"I know this is a hard stretch. Here's what I see in you. Here's where we're headed. Here’s how your strengths might help."

That kind of leadership doesn't require you to have all the answers. It requires honesty, steadiness, and care. It requires being willing to stand in the uncertain space alongside your people—instead of rushing past it.

The lion is loud. The lamb is patient. The best leaders know when to be which.

A Moment Worth Pausing For

Whether or not you're someone who pays attention to full moons, eclipses, or constellations, March 3rd feels like a worthy pause point this year. A moment to look up, take stock, and ask yourself:

What am I carrying into this season? What do I want to leave behind?

Because transitions—cosmic or otherwise—have a way of clarifying what matters. And in the world of work, that clarity is everything. Now just might be the time to let go of the things that aren’t serving you, get grounded in your strengths, and lead from a place of intention.

The stars are aligned.

Want to talk about how to lead your team through seasons of change and uncertainty? I'd love to connect. Reach out at Sarah@AspenRootCollective.com and let's find a time to dig in.

In growth & gratitude — Sarah