Dr. G’s Flute Horoscopes July 2020
by Rachel Taylor Geier
Summer is upon us and Eclipse Season is almost over. Did you survive the June Eclipses? You might have just come out of a period of intense change and are ready to start on something new. Delay moving forward with any carefully crafted action plans, however, until Mercury goes direct on July 12th (if at all possible). The final Lunar Eclipse at the beginning of July may have you further revising other very important areas of your life while a Saturn Retrograde will bring back lessons from the not-so-distant past. Give yourself a bit more time for the tide to settle before heading out to sea again. The latter half of the month will help us all move forward carefully and with a more optimistic outlook. The Summer storms are almost over! Take a break and enjoy the sunshine at the end of the month. Leave your flute at home and find joy in the little things that life has to offer.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 7th house of relationships. Saturn may have shaken up your relationships a bit during the previous transit (December 2017-March 2020). Lessons learned during this time will come back when Saturn goes retrograde. You may encounter an old colleague seeking closure to old work situation or you may create a connection with a conductor that you thought had forgotten your name.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 7th house of relationships. Your current relationships will be further tested by this Lunar Eclipse. Take a critical look at all of the connections in your life. How are your relationships with your students? Other flutists? Conductors? Have you been giving away too much of your own time to support the others in your life? Time to take your power back.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 1st house of identity. This is a great time to tell others exactly what you need in order to accomplish your most important goals. Is it more time to yourself? Delegate lower level responsibilities to others. Is it a new image? Consult with a personal stylist or others whose image you admire.
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 1st house of identity. With your newfound free time and an updated image, new opportunities will finally be available to you. There is a very important change in your life that may be coming down the pipes. The Universe will help you make this move when the New Moon occurs in your sign. It could be the purchase of a new instrument. Or expanding your online teaching business to spend more time at home.
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 2nd house of income. You may be offered a new job opportunity at the end of the month. Go for it! This job will fit quite nicely into your revised life priorities.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Over the past couple of years, you may have completely revised your schedule, removing performing or teaching obligations that no longer serve you, and replacing them with more important work projects and fitness routines. When Saturn goes direct, you may encounter some unfinished business in some of those older obligations. Perhaps your replacement does not quite understand how you organized your files or a student has returned to dispute a grade. Be patient and remember the lessons that Saturn brought up in the past.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. The Lunar Eclipse will encourage you to revise daily priorities in your current schedule once again. What is working well for you? Are there any committees or performing groups that seem to unnecessarily eat up your time? Is your studio overbooked? Are you effectively balancing your time between work and home priorities? Are you exercising enough? Carefully consider practical ways to simplify your schedule.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. You may have an epiphany in the practice room when Mercury goes direct. Have you been struggling with a technical passage or a very difficult piece of repertoire during the Mercury retrograde? Get ready for a magical light bulb moment! Share what you have learned on your flute blog. How did you crack the code?
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. Armed with your newfound practice strategy, the New Moon will encourage you to try out your ideas on new repertoire. Pieces that may have seemed beyond your capabilities in the past may now be easier than you originally thought.
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 1st house of identity. The Sun will shine a spotlight on your most important priorities at the end of the month. This is a great time to host a recital or masterclass (online or otherwise). Perform your favorite pieces for an adoring audience. Enjoy your diva moment!
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 5th house of creativity and joy. You have redefined what truly gives you joy and inspiration over the past couple of years. Saturn will test your understanding of these new values when he brings back some unfinished business from the past. This may be in relation to a creative project or a lesson from your studio practice. Tie up these loose ends and clear up any misunderstandings. Clear the path to move on to better and more meaningful things.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 5th house of creativity and joy. If you have been working on a creative project (such as a composition, a CD project, a lecturer recital, etc.) you may find yourself reconsidering your entire project around the time of the Lunar Eclipse. What can you change to better streamline your ideas? What works well? Do you really need that pesky third movement or that extra dance movement in your composition? Review and revise.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 11th house of groups and communities. This is a great time to reconnect with members of your performing groups. Start planning for the next performing season! What does the future of the ensemble look like? What other venues can you perform at? Can you hold virtual concerts for a reduced price? What new repertoire would you like to sight-read or program on an upcoming performance?
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 11th house of groups and communities. You may be asked to perform with a new ensemble during the time of this New Moon. Go for it! The Universe is giving you the green light to make new connections in a new group. Keep an open mind and take things one step at a time.
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. You may be heading into the practice room when the Sun shifts signs at the end of the month. Perhaps you have discovered some new and exciting repertoire to add to your next chamber music gathering that may take a bit of elbow grease to perfect. Not too worry – slow practice and a metronome will help get you through the technical bits.
Libra (September 23-October 22)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 4th house of home and family. You may have gone through a number of changes at home in recent years. Perhaps you have moved a number of times and are now finally established in a new home. Saturn will unearth some unfinished business from your recent moves when he goes retrograde at the beginning of the month. A bill left unpaid? A colleague that did not know you had left? A wonderful opportunity that you must turn down as you are no longer in the area? Be patient with whatever lessons Saturn brings back and tie up any loose ends.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 4th house of home and family. The Lunar Eclipse will have you reexamining your current home situation. Are you happy where you live? Does your home need renovations? What about the design and decorations in your home? Do they represent who you are and help make you feel at ease? Do you need to update technology or appliances? This is a good time to take inventory of all the changes that need to happen in your current environment.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 10th house of career goals. The Mercury retrograde may have led you to reconsider the direction of your career. When Mercury goes direct, however, you will be ready to initiate some of the action plans you had been mulling over in previous weeks. You have a much better idea of where you want to be in the next year, five years, and possibly even 10 years. Send out applications for new positions, apply to higher education programs that are better in line with your goals, and reach out to mentors that may offer some great advice about the best path forward.
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 10th house of career goals. You may receive a new opportunity in your career during the time of this New Moon. Be open to any possibilities at this time as they may be much better in line with your ultimate goals than your current circumstances. Go for it!
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. Have you recently auditioned for an orchestra? You may be offered the position at the end of month. Congrats! You may also simply be attending a number of rehearsals or meetings (virtual or otherwise) for your current ensembles. Be sure to give yourself enough downtime between rehearsals to avoid burnout.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 3rd house of communications. You may have learned a number of tough lessons over the past couple of years when it comes to communicating with others. Not everybody understands the World the way you do, Scorpio, so it is important to tailor your messages to your audience. Saturn will test this knowledge when he goes retrograde at the beginning of the month. Take more time to carefully craft messages to others in a way they will best understand (especially students).
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 3rd house of communications. A writing project you have been working on will need to undergo significant revisions during this Lunar Eclipse. You might have been ignoring it lately because you know it will need to go in a different direction. Be patient with your work. Spend a good amount of time revising and creating a new outline for the remaining work.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 9th house of travel and higher education. Have you been considering taking courses outside of your area of expertise? Language courses? Would you like to be an auditor for a virtual masterclass to learn something new from the masters? Mercury will give you the courage to explore your options when it goes direct. Open your mind to new opportunities and programs of study, whether in music or outside of the profession.
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 9th house of travel and higher education. A new learning or travel opportunity will present itself during this New Moon. What are you most interested in learning about? Is there a subject, such as music theory or history, that you could use a refresher in? Can you audit a course at your local community college? It is time to think bigger and pursue learning opportunities that may yield very important lessons and new experiences.
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 10th house of career goals. Your focus will shift onto your career when the Sun moves signs. How do the changes you are making to your education relate to your most important career goals? Is there something you are learning about that can be integrated into your flute playing? This is a wonderful opportunity to reexamine what makes you unique as a flutist and where you can best market those skills.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 2nd house of income. You may have had some serious ups and downs at work over the past couple of years, Sagittarius. You may have changed jobs a couple of times until you found one that works well for you. When Saturn goes retrograde, you might encounter some unfinished business with jobs you thought had reached their expiration date. Be patient with these blasts from the past and try not to burn any bridges.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 2nd house of income. Something in your current job is not making you happy and will need to undergo some changes around the time of this Lunar Eclipse. What did you learn from your past experiences? Do you need to come to terms with the fact that you perhaps do not actually enjoy performing in an orchestra? Would you rather focus on your career as a teacher? There is no “right” way to be a musician. Do whatever brings you the most joy and professional fulfillment.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 8th house of banking and finance. Any loans, taxes, or financial paperwork that you had put off during the Mercury retrograde can be safely moved forward with Mercury goes direct. Have you wanted to purchase a new flute, headjoint, or crown? What are your loan or financing options?
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 8th house of banking and finance. The Universe is giving you the green light to make a very important purchase during the time of the New Moon. Try out that flute you have had your eye on and, if the money is right and your payment plans are reasonable/achievable, go ahead and make your purchase!
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. When the Sun changes signs, you will be craving an adventure. Although it may not be safe to hop on a plane just yet, you will have some wonderful ideas for daytrips or camping trips outside of your house. Leave your flute at home and enjoy the Summer sun.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 1st house of identity. You have likely been going through a number of important changes in your life over the past couple of years. Who you are today is very different from the person you were two or even three years ago. You are a different performer. You are a different teacher. Saturn will test your knowledge of the lessons you have learned during the previous transit when he goes retrograde. Avoid falling back into bad habits – you have come a long way!
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 1st house of identity. While Saturn brings up lessons learned from the past, you might also find yourself reflecting on something that is just not working in your present. Change your approach. Are you trying to completely change your use of tone color? Experiment with embouchure, tone-hole placement, or even how your headjoint is aligned with the rest of your instrument.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 7th house of relationships. You may have had some trouble communicating with students or colleagues when Mercury was in retrograde. Once it goes direct, try to clear the air about any misunderstandings that might have come up over the past few weeks. Revisit an exercise that your students may not have completely understood. Is there a better way to explain the underlying “why”s and “how”s?
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 7th house of relationships. New Moons in the 7th house often suggest that one will make an important new friend! Do some networking around the time of this New Moon (whether online or in socially distant scenarios). You will likely meet somebody with great ideas for future collaborations.
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. Your focus will shift to your finances at the end of the month. Have you paid your taxes? Are you putting enough money into savings each month? Is there a large purchase that you would like to make over the next year (such as a new flute)? Start window shopping, making note of prices. Take advantage of free instrument trial programs from flute manufactures. Are there any financing plans available to help you purchase your instrument over the next few months?
Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. You have completely revolutionized your approach to practice over the past couple of years. Perhaps you have changed the time you practice or the daily duration (no more Sunday cram practicing sessions!). When Saturn goes retrograde, you may encounter some of your bad habits from yesteryear. Trying to memorize a piece the way you used to (aka practicing simply to achieve “muscle memory”)? Take a step back and try a new approach.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. Something you have be working on in the practice room is just not coming together. Have you selected a super-complicated piece for your next recital (or at least one that is proving difficult to perform with an accompanist)? Perhaps the entire program is complicated and will likely not be ready in time for your pre-scheduled performance. Not to fret! The Lunar Eclipse may encourage you to consider the reality of the situation. It is perfectly okay to reschedule the performance. Or, perhaps, switch out a couple of pieces that are more practical to perform within the current schedule.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Have you been having email wars at work lately? Mercury retrograde might be to blame. When Mercury goes direct, try to clear up any miscommunications at work and reschedule any missed lessons. A quick phone call with a boss or colleague will go a long way. Listen carefully to their side of the story to come to reasonable win-win solutions.
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You may be presented with a new and exciting work project around the time of this Full Moon. Have you been asked to perform at a virtual masterclass or participate on an online music panel? Make sure to block out enough time in your daily schedule to give this project the focus and energy it truly deserves. Make the most out of whatever this New Moon presents to you!
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 7th house of relationships. Make some new flute friends, Aquarius! Aquarians are natural social butterflies. When the Sun moves into your relationship house, you will find it quite easy to strike up conversations with important and interesting flutists from all over the Globe (online or via Zoom). This is a great time to host a Facebook or Instagram Live session and participate in discussions with both new and seasoned flutists.
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 11th house of groups and communities. Have you spent the past couple of years searching for the right orchestra and/or chamber group to perform with? You have likely been through a number of auditions during the previous Saturn transit (December 2017-March 2020) and have finally landed in an awesome group! When Saturn goes retrograde, you might be asked to sub for one of your previous groups or return for an alumni performance. Go for it, with the knowledge that it is only for a one-time performance.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 11th house of groups and communities. Something about one of your current performing groups has not been all puppies and rainbows lately. The Lunar Eclipse will encourage you to step back and think critically about what is not working and explore possible solutions. Are you not getting along with one of the members in your section? Have a chat with them and air out any grievances. How can you work together on these issues so they are out in the open and easy to address as a group? Since this is a Lunar Eclipse, you might also need to ask yourself very important questions about your future with this ensemble. How long would you like to stay with this group? What are your goals within the group and beyond?
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 5th house of creativity and joy. If you are working on a creative project (such as a composition, a recording, or a creative recital idea), you may have had some serious hang-ups and delays recently while Mercury was in retrograde. When Mercury goes direct, however, you will have the green light to move forward with your project. Proofreading is complete! Time to move on to the next chapter, movement, or track.
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 5th house of creativity and joy. You will likely be inspired to start working a new creative project around the time of the New Moon. What makes you smile? Is it performing for your family? Is it writing poems about music? Is it improvising? Spend some time doing things that connect your passion for music making to the other passions in your life. Is there a marketable project that could come out of these experiments?
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. When the Sun moves into your 6th house, you may find yourself absurdly busy at work. Grab your planner and your calendar and consider blocking out creative time-blocks for larger projects. What daily or weekly tasks, if any, can be delegated to others? Do you have enough time to practice uninterrupted? Are you getting enough exercise and sleep (don’t forget about work/life balance).
Aries (March 21-April 19)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 10th house of career goals. You have likely gone through a number of changes in your career over the past couple of years. You have experimented with different courses of study, considered different career tracks (teaching vs. performing) and have even changed jobs once or twice. You may finally feel like you have landed on a track that makes sense. When Saturn goes retrograde, however, you may find opportunities popping up in these other career avenues that you had thought reached their expiration date. It is okay to consider these options, but keep in mind the lessons that you have learned over time. Does engaging in these activities bring you closer to your goals or does it bring back an unfulfilling career?
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 10th house of career goals. Something in your current career needs to be adjusted or even abandoned. This Lunar Eclipse will help you face the inevitable changes needed in your career to help get you back on track with your original vision. You might be holding on to a performing group or a performing engagement that distracts you from other important projects. It is okay to say goodbye. Try not to burn any bridges if you must move on to new opportunities.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 4th house of home and family. The Mercury retrograde might have caused some misunderstandings in your family (quite possibly involving your practice schedule or proximity of your rehearsal space to beloved family hang-out rooms). When Mercury goes direct, calmly discuss possible solutions to some of your family’s complaints. Is there a practice time that works best for everybody? Is there an out-building or study that you can practice in that won’t disturb your family? Better yet – is there a way to involve your family in your practice routine? Mock audition, anyone?
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 4th house of home and family. As you consider new approaches to home practice and/or studio locations, you might start planning for serious, yet practical, home renovation ideas. Can you convert your garage into a soundproof, comfortable, and temperature-controlled practice area? Are there upgrades to technology (recording, teaching, performing) available to streamline your online teaching practice?
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. Your focus will shift onto creative activities at the end of the month. Have you always wanted to compose a piece for flute and piano? Perform a piece for flute and electric guitar? This is a great time to think outside of the box. What does the flute world need that it currently does not have (or at least does not promote adequately)?
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 9th house of travel and higher education. Over the past couple of years, you may have pursued a new course of study, moved a number of times, or traveled to interesting, far-away places (possibly for masterclasses or auditions). As of March 2020, when Saturn moved houses, you may have found yourself traveling or studying less that usual. When Saturn goes retrograde, lessons from the past will return or you may be inspired to take on a similar, yet related, course of study. Go ahead and learn a new language. Participate in masterclasses being held virtually in another country. Plan out future adventures to attend performances across the Globe.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 9th house of travel and higher education. You may discover around the time of this Eclipse that an important trip you had been planning will need to be postponed or canceled. Don’t freak out. Roll with the punches and consider future travel possibilities to other locations.
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 3rd house of communications. It is never easy when the planet of communication goes through a Mercury retrograde. In the past several weeks, you might have had miscommunications via email, text, phone, letter, and even on social media with anyone and everyone. You might have spoken too much and listened too little. When Mercury goes direct, take a critical look at the messages you have sent to others. You may need to follow up and clarify your intentions. There may be a tone that was mistakenly inferred in your words. We are artists, after all. Sometimes our passion is mistaken for anger.
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 3rd house of communications. The New Moon may encourage you start a new writing project. Do you have a flute blog yet? This is a great time to start one. What are you most interested in writing about? Is it teaching? Is it performing? Is it music technology? Is it composition or music theory? Share your passion and insights with the global flute world. You may find that others can really relate to your unique perspective.
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 4th house of home and family. Spend some time with your family at the end of the month. Take a break from your flute playing and enjoy a family picnic at the beach, the local park, or even just grill up some burgers and hotdogs in the backyard. Music and career advancement can wait until next month. Enjoy the Summer sun and the laughter of your loved ones.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
July 1st - Saturn goes retrograde in your 8th house of banking and finance. You have likely spent a lot of time scrimping and saving to purchase a new flute, recording equipment, or other major music-related item (including college tuition). You might have thought you were in the clear, but when Saturn goes retrograde you may find yourself encountering a bit of red tape and a few unexpected expenses. Try to remain calm and come up with a reasonable plan and timeline to pay off the remaining bills. Work with your financial institution or a loan counselor on the best course of action.
July 5th - A Lunar Eclipse appears in your 8th house of banking and finance. In light of the unexpected charges that Saturn brings back, you may need to reconsider your overall financial situation. Do you have enough money in your savings account for emergencies? Where does your money goes each month? Have you created a budget (there are a number of great budgeting apps out there to help you with this)? What expenses can you cut out of your life, or at least bring down to reasonable levels, to help put more money into your saving account? Are you paying too much in rent?
July 12th - Mercury goes direct in your 2nd house of income. If you have recently applied to a job, and have waiting quite a long time to hear back from the hiring committee, you may be receiving news about your application when Mercury goes direct. This is also a good time to chat with your current boss or conductor about questions or concerns you have about your position or new opportunities that may exist (performing a concerto with the orchestra next season, perhaps). With Mercury going direct, communicating your thoughts will be a bit easier and your messages will be clearer.
July 20th - A New Moon appears in your 2nd house of income. You may be receiving either a promotion at your current job or a job offer from another source. Congrats! You are definitely moving up in the World! Jump on this new opportunity as it is most definitely a gift from Universe.
July 22nd - The Sun moves into your 3rd house of communications. You will be inspired to write up a storm at the end of the month. Have you always wanted to write an article or a book about the flute? Do you have a flute blog? If not, now is the best time to set one up! What are you passionate about? Do you have some really good advice about flute playing, teaching, or the music profession in general? Share your thoughts! Share your posts on social media and submit your article drafts to publishers who may be interested in your content. Now is the best time to put your ideas out into the World.
Happy July!