DR. G’s Flute Horoscopes October 2020
by Rachel Taylor Geier
Welcome to Fall 2020! The event that we have been talking about for months is about to happen – A Full Moon on Halloween (and Daylight Saving). Don’t be scared – Embrace the changes! October also begins with a Full Moon. These Full Moon bookends suggest that a number of important changes will likely take place at both the beginning and end of the month. Endings to outdated practices are no longer negotiable. Changes to the old way of life will need to be made to move us all forward into the future. Expect the unexpected. If you have been resisting making important changes, particularly ones that involve technology, these Full Moons, coupled with a Mercury retrograde mid-month, will require you to face your fears. As with all Mercury retrogrades, make sure to back up all technology and avoid signing any contracts until Mercury goes direct at the beginning of November. The key to October is to remain flexible. Go with the flow and be patient with yourself when adapting to anything new.
Libra (September 23-October 22) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 7th house of relationships, joining the Mars retrograde. The month begins with a Full Moon that will ask you to make a significant change to one of your most important relationships. Chance are, the Mars retrograde may have already led you to rethink the importance of this relationship. If it is a boss, perhaps it is time to have an honest conversation about the job and any changes that can be made to improve conditions (particularly in the remote environment). If it is a student, you may need to revisit ways to make your lessons more accessible to their individual learning needs.
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. This is a great time to lock yourself in the practice room and practice all of the things. Are there pieces that you would finally like to memorize (or rememorize)? Any new, interesting repertoire to sight-read? Etudes you would like to conquer? Venus will make your practice time enjoyable.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 2nd house of income. You may be applying to new job opportunities during this Mercury retrograde. You are not quite happy with your current circumstances. Explore other ways to earn money doing what you love. Do not sign any contracts until Mercury goes direct at the beginning of November, if at all possible.
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 1st house of identity. The New Moon will encourage you to makeover your life. Take an inventory of all the things that bring you happiness and anything that tends to cause undue stress or anxiety. What can you cut out of your life to make more time for the things that bring you joy? What can you do to update your gear? Treat yourself!
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 2nd house of income. Apply to new any new job opportunities when the Sun moves into your income sector. Your focus will be moving on up. Schedule virtual interviews (even if you are uncertain about how they will go). Send preliminary audition materials. Put yourself out there and the Universe will likely reward you with a promotional opportunity.
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 8th house of banking and finance. Something you have been scrimping and saving to purchase may finally be yours during this Full Moon. This could be a new flute or a new headjoint, or maybe you are finally able to pay off those student loans. Congrats! Enjoy your newfound financial freedom!
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 6th house of daily work and health routines, joining the Mars retrograde. Something in your daily schedule will need to change around the time of this Full Moon. You have likely been thinking about this change for a couple of weeks now. If you have fallen off of your workout routine, you may find yourself implementing a new routine at a new time of day. Perhaps you have agreed to one too many responsibilities at work and your schedule has become unmanageable. Delegate what can be delegated. Streamline what can be streamlined (especially when it comes to practice time).
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. You may be joining a new performing group or reconnecting with an old group. Although it may not be possible to rehearse together under the current circumstances, you may start discussing panel presentation ideas and other workshops you could host for students or audiences. Keep your connection to this group alive.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 1st house of identity. It is never easy when Mercury goes retrograde in your sign. You will be doing some serious soul searching at this time. What is truly important to you? Are you happy performing under the current circumstances? Do you enjoy teaching? Is there a writing project that you would like to dive into? What are your most important goals for the future? What makes you truly happy in the present and how can you put your focus more on these areas? Create some new action plans!
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. As you begin to revitalize your practice routine under the Mercury retrograde, you may find yourself inspired to sight-read some new material. Take your time learning something new and enjoy the new challenges these new techniques offer.
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 1st house of identity. While the Mercury retrograde is encouraging you to reexamine your most important goals, the Sun will now draw your attention to making these goals more of a priority in your life. This is a great time to carefully experiment with new courses of action. What works? What doesn’t? Are there new educational programs available to consider? Can you schedule a virtual lesson with a flutist you admire or interview a conductor about best practices for auditions?
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 7th house of relationships. There is a toxic relationship in your environment that will need to be changed or possibly even end around the time of this Full Moon. Are you not seeing eye-to-eye with a conductor? Can you join a new group? Do you have a student that just does not want to play the flute anymore? Have a heart-to-heart with them about the future of their study and how you can best serve them.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 5th house of creativity and joy, joining the Mars retrograde. You may be working on a creative project, such as a composition or a series of videos on YouTube, that just hasn’t been working out lately. When Mars went retrograde last month, you may have started experimenting with different directions to take your project. You may have even considered making serious revisions to streamline your idea. The Full Moon will ask you to question if these changes are worth your effort. You may need to start over with a completely new project. Don’t worry – It will be for the best. You now have a much better idea about what works and what will not.
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 10th house of career goals. Take a step back and ask yourself what you truly love about your music career. Is it performing? Is it teaching? It is writing? How can you bring more of these activities into your life? Create a new set of action plans that better aligns with what makes you happy.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. Mercury will ask you to think about how you practice. How do you organize your practice time? Do you ever change up your routine? How do you prioritize your time? Experiment with different approaches, times of day, and locations. What works best?
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 11th house of groups and communities. You will likely join a new performing group or online music community around the time of the New Moon. How can you collaborate with your new colleagues? Are there virtual events that you can schedule or panel discussions that you can arrange with this group? Strike up a conversation!
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. You will be spending quite a bit of time in the practice room when the Sun changes signs. Practice new repertoire. Practice old repertoire. Experiment more with those new practice techniques that the Mercury retrograde has uncovered. Practice outside (if possible). Spend some time improvising.
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. This Full Moon will encourage you to make some major changes in your daily schedule. What activities can you delegate to others? Are there any meetings or responsibilities that distract you from your goals? Are you trying to accomplish too much at one time? Select one or two major goals and remove any other distractions. Make some time for exercise while the weather is still good.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 4th house of home and family, joining the Mars retrograde. Something at home is about to undergo some significant changes. Are you moving? Are you renovating your house? Or your studio space? Do what you can to embrace these changes. Rebuild your space in a way that works better for you and your flute needs.
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. What do you really want to learn about? Is there another instrument that you would like to learn? Or another language you would like to study? Venus will help you find something new and interesting to experience. Sign up for online courses and spend some quality time researching what interests you.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 11th house of groups and communities. Something in one of your performing groups has not really been working properly lately. What changes can you make? Was your concert season recently postponed? How can you use your rehearsal time to better prepare for future concerts? Can you hold virtual rehearsal sessions? Schedule a few meetings with your fellow section members to check-in.
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 10th house of career goals. You may be offered an important new job opportunity around the time of this New Moon. This is a great opportunity that you will want to accept. Remember that Mercury is still in retrograde at this time. Try to avoid signing any contracts until after November 4th when Mercury goes direct again, if at all possible.
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. Your focus will shift onto your performing groups when the Sun changes signs. Spend some quality rehearsing concert music, either for this season or for future seasons. Schedule some virtual meetings with your fellow colleagues. What challenges are they facing? Are there any opportunities to collaborate?
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 5th house of behind the scenes activities. A creative project that you have been working on will need to undergo some significant changes or even be abandoned around the time of the Full Moon. Have you created a transcription of a flute choir work that you wished to debut with a local group? This performance may be postponed due to circumstances beyond your control. Try to view this as an opportunity to make any necessary edits to your work before the next scheduled performance.
Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 3rd house of communication, joining the Mars retrograde. If you have been writing a book or article, you may find yourself making major revisions to your work or even abandoning the project all together. Take some time to proofread your writing. Send it to another trusted writer for a second opinion. Is there another more effective way to take your idea? Another composer’s work to analyze? A connected idea from another flute blog? Contact the author.
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. You may receive a financial gift from a loyal benefactor or a well-meaning family member. Express your gratitude with a beautiful, hand-written note and apply the money to an important purchase (a new flute, perhaps).
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 10th house of career goals. This Mercury retrograde will encourage you to think critically about the current direction of your career. Are you on the right path to becoming a star flute player? Are you building your teaching experience brick-by-brick? Most importantly, are you on the right track or has your track shifted? Time for some soul-searching.
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 9th house of travel and higher education. This is a great time to embark on a new course of study. Interested in learning a second instrument? Schedule a virtual lesson. Want to learn a new language? Look into online programs or remote classes at a local community college.
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 10th house of career goals. Your focus will indeed shift onto your career when the Sun changes signs. While the Mercury retrograde has led you to think more critically about the direction of your career, you may start to pursue some clever new action plans. One of these action plans may be to apply to new jobs. Interesting flute teaching job in Vermont? Go for it! What do you have to lose?
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 4th house of home and family. Something in your environment is about to change. Are you planning a move? Or a studio redesign? You might even just be rearranging your furniture to create more space in your home office. Start decorating for the holidays!
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 2nd house of income, joining the Mars retrograde. You may be leaving a job or ending an income stream around the time of this Full Moon. Something has not been working well with this arrangement and the choice to leave will ultimately be your own after some careful soul-searching. Do you have a student that just does not want to play the flute anymore? It may be time to have a serious conversation with them about their future participation in your studio.
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 7th house of relationships. Spend some time with the people that you love when Venus moves into your house of relationships. You may be feeling a bit vulnerable due to the previous day’s energy. They will cheer you up and bring you out of your funk. Order some pizza and chill out!
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 9th house of travel and higher education. This Mercury retrograde will encourage you to expand your horizons. Have you always wanted to learn how to play Jazz? Are there music theory or musicology courses that you would like to take online (even just as refreshers)? Go for it! Sign up for those classes and book those lessons.
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 8th house of banking and finance. You may need to take out a loan to pay for an online course. Schedule a phone call with your local banking institution. What are your payback options on this loan and how can you set up a practical payment plan that works with your budget?
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. Your focus will shift onto this new educational opportunity when the Sun shifts signs. You may be beginning your classes around this time. Become an informational sponge. Take notes and find creative ways to integrate your new knowledge with your current flute playing life.
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 3rd house of communication. If you are working on a writing project, such as a book, an article, or a blog, you might need to do some serious proofreading around the time of the Full Moon. Your message may have veered off-track from the original idea. Take some time to review your work carefully. It may be that you need to scrap the project altogether and start again. Do not panic – Your second time around will be much more effective than the first.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 1st house of identity, joining the Mars retrograde. You will be reinventing yourself and your flute playing from the ground up at the beginning of this month. Ask yourself honestly what is working and what is not. How is your tone across the registers? Could your low notes use a makeover? What about your articulation? Light and bouncing or forced and lethargic? What about your gear? Is your instrument working properly? Could you use an update or two? Treat yourself!
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You may be busy when Venus changes signs, but you will be perfectly balancing your activities between work, practice, home, exercise, and personal time. You will be feeling great and in control of your schedule!
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 8th house of banking and finance. Keep an eye on your bank account when Mercury goes retrograde. Make sure all of your automatic payments are set up properly and review your online statements every couple of days. This is also a good time to start saving for a larger purchase (such as a flute). How much will you need to save each month to make your purchase by the end of the year? Are there any payment plans available?
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 7th house of relationships. You will make an important new connection around the time of this Full Moon. Use your time to connect to fellow flutists online and in various flute forums. You might meet someone with some very interesting ideas. Can you collaborate?
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. Your focus will shift onto your finances when the Sun moves signs. You have likely come up with reasonable savings plan to make your large purchase. Now you may start window shopping and participating in instrument trial programs.
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 2nd house of income. You may be walking away from a job or an income stream around the time of this Full Moon. Something just doesn’t work out and you may be searching for a better opportunity elsewhere. It is okay to move on.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 12th house of behind the scenes activities, joining the Mars retrograde. Something that you have been practicing is just not coming together. You have probably toiled away on this piece for several weeks, practicing in chunks, slowing it down, gluing yourself to a metronome - all to no avail. It is okay to wave the white flag and move on to another piece that works better for you.
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. It is always a good time when the planet of joy moves into the house of joy. Do whatever makes you happy during this time. Practice repertoire that brings a smile to your face. Share your favorite orchestra clips with your family. If you are inspired to start working on a creative project, follow your instincts, and start brainstorming.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 7th house of relationships. You may have a few misunderstandings with colleagues, family, and friends when Mercury goes retrograde. Be careful with your words during this time, particularly if they are in text or email form. Try not to engage in any dramatic debates on social media – Words are not being interpreted clearly during this retrograde, which may lead to hurt feelings.
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You may be adding a new set of responsibilities to your plate during this New Moon. Have you agreed to participate as a guest judge for seating placements for a local youth orchestra? It may eat up some time in your schedule, but it is time well-spent for a good cause.
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 7th house of relationships. Your focus will be on friends and family when the Sun moves signs. Host a living room recital for your family. Ask them to participate in mock auditions as judges. Watch an opera together. Chat will an old colleague or flute friend. What are they up to?
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 1st house of identity. The Full Moon will ask you to makeover your life and your flute playing. What do you love the most about playing to flute? What are your greatest strengths? What are the things that need your attention the most? Is it your tone or your technique? How is your instrument? Could you use an upgrade or even a few new accessories? Treat yourself!
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 11th house of groups and communities, joining the Mars retrograde. You may be walking away from one of your performing groups around the time of the Full Moon. Perhaps you have received an invitation to join a new group. Maybe the concert season has been cancelled and your talents are needed in other groups. It is okay to move on.
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 4th house of home and family. Spend some time at home when Venus moves into your 4th house. Set up a comfy practice space in the guest bedroom or, if possible, practice outside and perform for the trees. Try not to spend all of your time with Bach and Mozart, though. Make sure to give proper hangout time to your family.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You will need to rehaul your entire schedule when Mercury goes retrograde. Are you investing your time wisely with the 24 hours you have each day? Are you practicing too much and teaching too little? Are you hanging out more with Netflix than your family? Are you participating in too many committees at the expense of your health? Try to cut out what you can cut out and delegate any responsibilities that can be delegated.
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 5th house of creativity and joy. You may start working on a creative project during this New Moon. Is it a composition? Is it a CD project? Is it a presentation? Whatever it is, you will receive tons of creative energy from the Universe.
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Your focus will shift onto your schedule when the Sun moves signs. You have likely come up with some great ideas to streamline your daily to-dos and are now eager to put them into practice. Try not to change everything at once. Implement your changes one at a time and review their effectiveness at the end of each week.
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 12th house of behind the scenes activities. Your practice routine may not be working for you. As you revamp your schedule, you may find that the way you were practicing before is not the best use of your time. Have you been memorizing your music through muscle memory? Do you practice the same passage over and over again hoping that it will sink in? There may be a better way to reorganize your time and streamline your approaches.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 10th house of career goals, joining the Mars retrograde. You may be shifting away from a career goal that you used to think was very important but now have come to realize that it is not what you really want. Have you been auditioning to orchestras because a well-meaning teacher once told you to pursue the life of a performer, but you never really enjoy your time on stage? Are you teaching just to bring in an income but otherwise find it draining? It is time to reassess. What do you really want to be when you grow up?
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 3rd house of communication. This is a great day to post a flute blog on something that you really love about playing the flute. Write about a composer you enjoy or a practice technique that you find particularly useful. Write about a piece that you love or a performance that inspires you.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 5th house of creativity and joy. If you have been working on a creative project, this Mercury retrograde will ask you to take a step back and reassess your work. Are you on the right track? Are there changes that you can make to your idea to make it even better? If you are writing a new piece, do you really need four movements or is the piece more effective with three?
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 4th house of home and family. You may be moving to a new house, neighborhood, or even just a new office location around the time of this New Moon. If it is not a move, you will definitely be revamping your environment somehow. Rearrange the furniture in your studio space. Add a few new pieces of art or fall decorations to make your space more inviting.
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. Your attention will shift onto your creative project when the Sun changes signs. You have likely worked out some of the kinks under the influence of the Mercury retrograde. Now is the time to implement some of your revisions. Do they work the way you wanted them to?
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 11th house of groups and communities. You may be saying goodbye to a performing group around the time of this Full Moon. Is the season-ending for the year? Have you received an offer to join another group? It is okay to say goodbye to your colleagues in order to move onto something new and exciting. When one door closes, another opens (as the saying goes).
Leo (July 23-August 22)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 9th house of travel and higher education, joining the Mars retrograde. A trip that you had been planning all year may finally need to be postponed or canceled. Travel restrictions have made it impossible to keep the itinerary you had planned months ago. Don’t worry – You will be able to plan a similar trip in the future. Start thinking about ways to make this future adventure even better!
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 2nd house of income. This is a great time to hop onto the Law of Attraction bandwagon and attract new job opportunities into your life. Check out the job boards. Advertise for any open studio spaces in your practice. Even if you feel like a job posting is well beyond your expertise, apply anyways! The worst they can say is no.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 4th house of home and family. You may find a few things going haywire in your house during this Mercury retrograde, particularly if they are connected to technology. How is your internet connection? Is teaching through Zoom more trouble than it is worth? How are your microphones and cameras? Is your computer functioning properly? This is a good time to upgrade any home technology needing a refresh.
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 3rd house of communication. You may be starting a new writing project around the time of this New Moon. Have you always wanted to write a book about a composer or publish an article about a certain piece of repertoire.? Start writing.
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 4th house of home and family. Spend some time at home when the Sun moves signs. Your family needs your attention right now. Leave the flute in its case and spend some quality time with your loved ones. Decorate your house for the fall season together.
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 10th house of career goals. You may need to do some serious soul-searching about the direction of your career during the time of this Full Moon. A goal you used to have may have reached its expiration date. You may not be the flutist you wanted to be 10 years ago. That does not mean that you have failed. It means that you have achieved goals that you did not know would be important until you had mastered them. What goals are no longer relevant on your current path? Streamline your priorities.
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
October 1st - A Full Moon appears in your 8th house of banking and finance, joining the Mars retrograde. You may be making the final payment on an educational loan or on an instrument installment plan. Congrats! Your savings plan worked beautifully and you are now the proud owner of your new flute. Find a good way to celebrate your savings.
October 2nd – Venus moves into your 1st house of identity. It is retail therapy time. Venus is the proverbial Cher Horowitz (title character from the movie Clueless). She loves the mall and is the shopping queen of the Universe. Sad? Go shopping. Bored? Go shopping. Confused? Go shopping. Drop some cash on a new flute bag, a new music stand, wooden flute stand, new music, new mics or speakers, or any other new accessory to brighten your gear.
October 13th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 3rd house of communication. You will need to take a step back on any writing projects you are working on to review, revise, and edit. Mercury will not make it easy. You will begin noticing the smallest nuances that need changing – commas, run-on sentences, passive voice, etc. You may also end up taking your project in a completely different direction. Be as flexible as possible with these changes.
October 16th – A New Moon appears in your 2nd house of income. You may be offered a new job around the time of the Full Moon. Congrats! How does this new opportunity fit with your current schedule and long-term goals?
October 22nd – The Sun moves into your 3rd house of communication. Your focus will be squarely on your writing project as the Sun moves signs. You may find yourself burning the midnight oil trying to make all of the changes you’d like to your project. Virgos can often be the proverbial perfectionists of the Zodiac. Do what you can avoid paralysis by analysis. Keep your thoughts simple, easy to follow, and on track with your original message.
October 31st – A Full Moon appears in your 9th house of travel and higher education. A trip you had been planning may finally be postponed or canceled during the time of this Full Moon. Travel restrictions have made it impossible to take the adventure you would have liked. Do not worry – Instead, start planning an even better adventure for next year. Are there landmarks you would like to visit overseas? Are you interested in attending a future performance of the Vienna Symphony or participate in a masterclass in Italy? Start dreaming of your ideal trip now.
Happy October!