Former Julius Caesars meet and connect at reincarnation convention
The proper plural of Julius Caesar is “Julii Caesares,” pedantic snobs inform us
Story by Hans-Manuel de Biekieper for the Gazette of Baarle
The Baarle Parish Hall was home to the fourth biennial gathering of the PFKAJC (Persons Formerly Known As Julius Caesar), an organization that promotes awareness and research of reincarnation, as well as outreach to those who may have been a Roman Dictator in their previous life, but have suppressed the memory. According to PFKAJC numbers, this amnesia of once having been Gaius Julius Caesar may affect up to 80% of the population, known to them as “The Forgetful”.
PFKAJC founding member, Teun Niemeijer (53), started the organization in 2014 after feeling alienated by the “mainstream” reincarnation community.
“I was called all sorts of nasty things,” Niemeijer recounts as he drinks a Kriek lambic beer with our reporter, a golden laurel wreath perched upon his abundantly mustachioed head. “To them, I was a narcissist. Just another mediocre white male with delusions of grandeur.”
Bernadette Christakis-Niemeijer (51), wife to Mr. Niemeijer and inconspicuously dressed as an Egyptian Pharaoh, nods her head as she lights another cigarette. “At the time, there was a move away in the reincarnation community from bigger personalities. If you were anything in your previous life above a janitor, people just didn’t take you seriously. Hell, even being human in your previous life was almost frowned upon. If you weren’t a former fruitfly, an ex-Teckel or a late orang utan, you were probably an attention seeker making it all up and making the ‘real’ reincarnated look bad.” She scoffs and gets visibly vexed while recounting her experiences.
“It made me doubt myself. For a while, I tried to convince myself that I was misremembering. Maybe I had been a palm-waving servant, or some girl pouring milk in a bath, instead of the Queen of the Nile herself. But when I met Teun, all doubt evaporated. He is my Caesar, and I am none other than Cleopatra VII Philopator — or used to be anyway.”
Their love story has been turbulent to say the least, mirroring the real-life Caesar and Cleopatra, with three marriages and two divorces — all to each other. “But we both keep coming back for more. It’s destiny. Destiny condemned us to each other,” Niemeijer says squeezing his wife’s hand. “No matter what anyone says. No matter who tries to take it away from us.”
Mr. Niemeijer almost got discouraged, until a ‘miraculous’ meeting happened that would change his life, and many other lives, forever. Pedro Garcia Rodriguez (47) recounts. “The meetings were very international; I was from Spain, Teun was from Baarle. But we were both Roman patricians deep down in our hearts.”
“We instantly connected on a deep spiritual level. I invited Teun and his then-fiancée to my childhood home, where my mother corroborated the story of how, during a routine paediatrician visit, I uttered my first words: Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam, qui ipsorum lengua… he burst into tears there and then. Teun, I mean. Well… the paediatrician too, of course.”
This faithful meeting got the ball rolling. PFKAJC was founded, and what ensued seemed like an avalanche of reborn Caesars, from all walks of life. American-born Danielle Aquilani (36) recently moved to Rome not only to reconnect with her Italian roots, but also to work through trauma from a past life. She shows us a small, scar-like birth mark on her belly. “I never knew what this was, until I learned in history class about the assassination of Caesar on the Ides of March. I’d had dreams of being repeatedly stabbed by old men in dresses, recurring nightmares where I was betrayed by those closest to me. I developed a crippling fear of politicians, specifically senators.”
“That is, until I married and had children with one.” She lowers her pants a bit further to reveal a bigger scar. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect the caesarean, but I’d like to think of this as a small, knowing wink from the universe.”
When asked if she faces sexism in the Former Julius Caesar community, she laughs. “Well, I’ve had my disagreements with fellow Caesars — nothing is ever 100% sunny and perfect. But I wouldn’t say I’ve had more problems here than anywhere else. If anything, I feel my contributions are valued more here. About a year ago I started work on a dating app that allows people like us to connect more easily. I’ve only gotten encouragement and support ever since Caesr got off the ground.”
“People have this idea that, because Gaius Julius Caesar was an authoritarian strongman leader whose name literally means Emperor in several languages, we must be a bunch of reactionaries living in the past,” Pedro Garcia Rodriguez muses. “I don’t think that’s true,” Aquilani replies. “We’re a pretty open-minded crew. After all, Gaius started out as a politician for the Populares faction, who defended the interests of the common people against the snobistic Optimates.”
“That’s not to say we are blind to our previous lifetime’s mistakes.” Here the table goes silent for a moment. After what seems like a minute, Danielle speaks up, with a lump in her throat. “It can be hard to read De Bello Gallico (Julius Caesar’s account about his conquest of Gaul) and to reckon with all the… unpleasant things in there.” She suppresses a sniff.
“You could say times were different,” Teun Niemeijer sighs, “and Rome was a very militaristic society, but… I mean, he basically committed genocide of the Eburones. Ever heard of the Eburones?”
“No,” our reporter truthfully replies.
“That’s because they’re all gone. Had every last one of them killed.”
“We considered issuing an official apology to the Eburones people,” Garcia Rodriguez says with a solemn expression. “But, I mean… it feels kinda hollow when no surviving Eburone descendant walks the Earth anymore. The people who live in what used to be the Eburones’ homeland are called Limburgers now, and while they are nice people, they’re just not the same.”
“Instead, we’ve committed ourselves to holding a minute of silence for Eburones during every PFKAJC meeting, and to honour and spread awareness of their culture,” Teun Niemeijer continues. “But… it’s a challenge. We just don’t know that much about them. The ironic thing is, virtually all the writings on this people come from the very man who eradicated them. It’s so important to stop and at least ask people what food they like to eat, before indiscriminately murdering them. We get that now.”
Some Baarle residents have expressed skepticism about the PFKAJC’s fourth meeting being held in the local Parish Hall, citing concerns about “validating mental illness and delusions.” (Man in café who wishes to remain anonymous due to concerns of being cancelled by a pitchfork mob, 71) We asked Baarle psychiatrist Farah El Hajj on her professional opinion on this phenomenon.
“As far as I can tell, it’s not clear to me if it’s useful to apply the label ‘delusion’ to these people’s beliefs of having been Julius Caesar in a previous life. Certainly, from the majority’s point of view, it’s unorthodox and eccentric. But where to draw the line between their shared belief, and other spiritual or even political beliefs? Culture plays a key role in how both healthy psychology and psychiatric illness play out. Whether you agree or disagree with their belief, if it gives their life meaning and has no drastic impacts on their daily functioning, I don’t see an overwhelming benefit to medicalizing this issue. Besides my practice already has a waiting list of 6 months as it is, please don’t add any more, or I’m adding myself to the list as well.”
Not everyone agrees on the harmlessness of this subculture, or the wider New-Age movement it split off from. “Stuff like this is making a mockery of timeheld traditions like Buddhism and Hinduism and their authentic and ancient beliefs surrounding reincarnation. These people lack a basic notion of samsara, moksha, karma. It is outrageous.” This according to Dave, a 60-year old Baarle motorcycle repair man who once read a book by Alan Watts during his uni years. Unfortunately, although their perspective is likely direly needed, real Buddhists and Hindus were unavailable for comment due to a pressing deadline for the author and oh look what is this there’s a final paragraph coming that ties together the story nicely
Nevertheless, the future of PFKAJC is currently looking bright, with a growing list of attendees every two years, as well as a diversifying group of members that includes ever younger recruits. Zara F., a 20-year old Classics student from Norway, is harnessing the power of TikTok to help reach her Gen Z contemporaries. “You know, Caesar and Cleopatra were basically like the Kanye and Kim K of their day… or maybe more like Pete Davidson and Kim K.” Teun Niemeijer interrupts her after asking his wife who any of these people are. “The one question we get asked most — besides what’s that leafy thing on your head?— is: how on Earth is it possible that all of you were Julius Caesar at the same time?” “Alternative universes,” suggests Garcia Rodriguez. “Split souls,” says Aquilani. “A hivemind that transcends time and space…” Zara muses. “In any case,” Bernadette Christakis-Niemeijer says, “from what I’ve learned hanging out with ex-Caesars, it’s that having been Julius Caesar is not a zero sum game. It’s a shared experience that helps some feel a little less lonely and a little more like they belong.”
Stay tuned for our book review of The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, another inspiring story about a group of identical JCs.
