DR. G’s FLUTE HOROSCOPES July 2021
by Rachel Taylor Geier
Happy July! Summer is in full swing and the heavens are restless. This is a very unique month of both forward momentum and intense retrospection. A New Moon at the beginning of the month will signal a new start – out with the old and in with the new. Jump on any new opportunities presented by the Universe at this time. Mercury will be changing houses twice this month, indicating that communication will take center stage mid-month. Have those difficult conversations you may have been avoiding. Keep your messages clear, honest, and productive. Finally, Jupiter, which has been in retrograde since June 20th, will move back one house. There is a lot that you have learned over the past few months. Take a moment to reflect on all of the wonderful things that Jupiter has brought into your life and where he has asked you to devote your time and energy. You may need to reassess how best to move forward in the “new normal” based on the lessons learned and the unique opportunities provided by Jupiter. Follow your instincts and trust your intuition.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
July 9th – New Moon in your 1st house of identity. New birth year, Cancer! New year, new you! What is it that you most want to achieve in the year ahead? If you could focus all of your attention and energy on one thing, what would it be? Would it be hosting a recital? Or applying to a job that better utilizes your talents and abilities? The Universe will provide you with an opportunity around this time to make good on this new adventure.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 1st house of identity. This single important ambition will require you to set up some networking meetings with mentors or other flutists in the field who can point you in the right direction. Speak openly about your goals. Use your connections as good sounding boards for ideas or new paths to consider.
July 21st – Venus moves into your 3rd house of communication. Venus will help you speak from your heart. This is a great time to blog about various things you love about the flute or music-making in general. You may also want to direct this genuine honesty into drafting a fantastic cover letter for a job you would love to have. Is there a teaching position open at an institution you would really like to work? Write a cover letter that describes what makes you a unique flutist!
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 2nd house of income. When the Sun and Mars join forces, you will be motivated to apply to new jobs or promotional opportunities. Audition for those groups that may seem wildly out of your wheelhouse. The worst they can say is no and you still get a lot of great preparation experience (and your excerpts will be in good shape for the next opportunity).
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 8th house of banking and finance. You may be paying off a loan or sending in the final balance on your credit card. Congrats! Did you just purchase a new instrument or an upgrade to your current instrument? Now that Mercury is direct, this is a great time to cross all of the t’s, dot all of the i’s, and enjoy your new purchase.
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 2nd house of income. This is a good time for any interviews or auditions. Mercury will help you not only shine on your excerpts but also help you speak clearly and professionally about yourself, your musical ambitions, and your unique talents and skills.
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. Use this time to think about the money you have saved over the past few months or years. What is the best use of this money moving forward? Where can you save additional money? (Do you really need that subscription service that you signed up for during the pandemic?)
July 29th – Mars moves into your 3rd house of communication. This is a great time to write! Write a blog post analyzing your favorite piece or an article about your most cherish teaching technique. Spend some time networking on social media and connecting to other flutists virtually. Get the word out about all of your exciting upcoming projects.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
July 9th – New Moon in your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. You may be working on some new repertoire in the practice room. Planning for your next recital? Prepping for an upcoming masterclass? Keep an open mind about any pieces that seem challenging now. Think about ways to break these down into easier to manage parts.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. This is a great opportunity to blog about your approach to learning new pieces. Share your insights with a broader audience. Summer is a good time for high school and college aged students to work on new music for the next school year. They might really value your tips!
July 21st – Venus moves into your 2nd house of income. You will be popular at work when Venus moves into your 2nd house. Are your colleagues reading your blog? Better yet, is your boss or conductor reading your blog? They may offer you more opportunities to collaborate on future projects.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 1st house of identity. It is all about YOU when these two join forces (which will be music to the Leo’s ears!). This is a great time to host a recital, masterclass, or other virtual performance. Play something virtuosic with a ton of zing! Mars wants you to strut your stuff while you bask in the brilliant spotlight of the Sun.
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 7th house of relationships. You may have a difficult relationship that will need to either change or end around the time of this Full Moon. Dealing with a difficult student that does not practice? Have an honest conversation with this student regarding expectations. Ask for a practice card or, if school-aged, have a side conversation with parents to encourage better, more productive, home practice standards.
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 1st house of identity. This is a great time to ask for what you want. Do you need more time in your schedule to practice? Delegate non-priority tasks to others to carve out the time you need to work on fluting. Do you need more students? Get the word out about new openings in your studio (both online and in person).
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) into your 7th house of relationships. Jupiter in retrograde will ask you to think about how much you give to the others in your life. Are you taking on too many responsibilities for other people? Are you doing all you can to support the ones you love? Are you supporting your musical colleagues as much as you could? Reflect on ways you can better give to others without burning yourself out.
July 29th – Mars moves into your 2nd house of income. You will be a powerhouse at work at the end of the month! Do all of the things. Reschedule all of the lessons. Volunteer for those adjudicator requests and start planning your next masterclass. Practice for your upcoming performance calendar. Book your recital venue. Mars will help you check off everything on your to-do list.
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
July 9th – New Moon in your 11th house of groups and communities. You may be joining a new orchestra or chamber group around the time of this Full Moon. Audition for any open opportunities at the beginning of the month. Offer to sub for groups searching for a back-up flutist. Does your local community have a flute choir? Where can you sign up!?
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. Chat with the members of your new performing group. What are they working on? Are there any opportunities to collaborate? What does the upcoming concert season look like? What will be the highlights and challenges? What unique skills can you offer to this group?
July 21st – Venus moves into your 1st house of identity. You will be quite popular when Venus moves into your 1st house. This is a great time to host a recital! Or, if a recital is not in the cards, consider hosting a summer masterclass and sharing your perspective with younger learners. Others will be interested in your expertise.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. You will be a master of the practice room when these two join forces. Practice all of the things. Interested in a new piece of music that you heard recently? Purchase (or borrow) a copy and woodshed the more technical bits in the practice room. Can you program this for an upcoming performance?
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Your daily schedule may have spiraled out of control recently. Not to worry – Take a critical look at all of your responsibilities. Is there anything that you can redelegate to others? Are you spending too much time on activities that do not really move you closer to your goals? Limit your time or cut these responsibilities out of your schedule all together. Make sure you are getting adequate time to practice, sleep, eat, and exercise.
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. Do you have a flute blog? This is a great time to write about some of your best kept practice secrets. How do you organize your practice time? What techniques do you use to memorize a piece of music? How do you approach excerpts?
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Jupiter will ask you to take an even more critical look at your daily activities. Chances are you have agreed to participate in activities over the past few months that do not quite fit into your schedule. Write out all of your short and long term goals. Are you devoting your time effectively to achieving these goals or are you using your time on other tasks that do not align with your priorities?
July 29th – Mars moves into your 1st house of identity. Mars will ask you to do all of the things – but only if they truly matter to you. If you don’t enjoy subbing for an orchestra, you can respectfully decline. If you love to teach, accept all of those awesome referrals coming your way from other flutists. If it speaks to you, roll up your sleeves and get to work
Libra (September 23-October 22)
July 9th – New Moon in your 10th house of career goals. You may be offered a job around the time of this New Moon. This is a great opportunity that is likely aligned with your most important career goals (did you win a position in a local orchestra, by any chance). Congrats! Do what you can to best prepare yourself for this new position.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 10th house of career goals. Schedule a meeting with a trusted advisor or another flutist that you admire. Discuss your new opportunity and ways to make the most out of it. Where will this lead? What will be the next step after assuming this role? What would you like the future of your career to look like? Start planning!
July 21st – Venus moves into your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. You will be locking yourself in the practice room playing many of your tried-and-true favorites. This is a really good time to memorize (or re-memorize) some of the standards (Mozart, Bach, etc.). Take a stroll down Musical Memory Lane.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 11th house of groups and communities. Volunteer to perform with all of your local ensembles when the Sun and Mars join forces. You are ready to get back to rehearsals and plan for upcoming performances. Connect or reconnect with your colleagues. What are they planning for the upcoming teaching and performing season?
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 5th house of creativity and joy. A creative project that you have been working on may not be coming together like you had originally thought. Take some time to look at the larger picture and revise where you can. Do you really need that 2nd movement in your composition? How do your YouTube videos flow? Do you need to edit or change the format of your recordings? It is totally okay to take your work in another direction.
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. Invite your orchestral colleagues out for coffee. What are they working on? How has the past year treated them? What have they learned? Compare notes. You can learn a lot from your fellow musicians.
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. Jupiter will ask you to reflect on your creative work. How can your project be streamlined? Have you explored all of the best ways possible to finalize the details? Do you need to reach out to anyone (accompanists, recording studios, publishers) to get their okay on the recent edits?
July 29th – Mars moves into your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. Mars will ask you to roll up your sleeves and head to the practice room. Practice all of the things. Avoiding that pesky etude book that tests your patience but that you know will improve your technique tenfold? Pull up a music stand, grab a bottle of water, and start woodshedding all of those challenging passages perched in the ledger lines.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
July 9th – New Moon in your 9th house of travel and higher education. You may be planning a trip around the time of this New Moon. As travel restriction loosen, you may find yourself dreaming of new adventures. Where would you most like to go? Do you need a vacation to a deserted beach somewhere? Is there a cabin in the woods that would allow you to breathe in fresh air while giving you a relaxed environment to simply practice in peace? Book it!
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. Mercury may have you talking to others about new educational opportunities. Are you making a career shift? Have you looked into training programs or even degree programs in new (or related) fields? Want to transition to a life as a band director? Discuss your options with a trusted advisor or career counselor.
July 21st – Venus moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. You will be quite popular in your performing ensembles when Venus changes signs. If you have recently been given a principal role or a very important solo, belt it out loud and proud in rehearsal. This is your moment to wow your audience! Try to avoid being a diva, however. Accept applause with the utmost grace.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 10th house of career goals. You will be super focused on your career goals when these two join forces. You are ready to make things happen! Start checking off all of those action items on your to-do list that bring you to the next level in your flute life. Send your CV to interesting job prospects and network with conductors that may have some great leads on performing and/or teaching opportunities in your community and beyond.
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 4th house of home and family. Something in your home or studio environment may need to change around the time of this Full Moon. Rearrange your home studio space. How can you make more space? Remove old bulky furniture and other items that belong elsewhere. Upgrade any technology. Can you sound-proof your current space? Go for it!
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 10th house of career goals. This is a great time to discuss your future ambitions with a career counselor or a trusted flutist you admire. Chance are you are super motivated to move forward in your career. What advice do they have for you to get there? Who else can they connect you with?
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 4th house of home and family. Jupiter will ask you to reflect on all of the changes that have happened over the past few months at home or with your family. What have you learned? Do you end up doing too much around the house? Not enough? How can you better balance the time you share with your loved ones?
July 29th – Mars moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. Audition. Audition. Then audition some more. You are super motivated right now to connect with new, more challenging performing groups. The worst the audition committee can say is “No, Thank You.” You are still left with some very valuable audition experience at the end of the day.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
July 9th – New Moon in your 8th house of banking and finance. You may be taking out a loan for a large purchase around the time of this Full Moon. Purchasing a new flute, by any chance. The Universe will give you all of the financial resources to make this happen. Remember to read the fine print and discuss reasonable repayment plans moving forward.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. This is a great time to discuss your new purchase with a financial expert at your local banking institution. Do they have any other repayment programs that you may use in conjunction with loans offered through the manufacturer or instrument dealer? What advice do they have for you?
July 21st – Venus moves into your 10th house of career goals. Spend some time rethinking your career goals in terms of what truly inspires you. Even if it is crazy, not practical, and makes no sense – What is it that you truly want to do with your flute playing life? You do not need to pursue a career suggested in a past life by a well-meaning teacher or advisor that totally drains you. Focus your efforts instead on your happiest career scenario.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 9th house of travel and higher education. You will likely be planning a trip when these two join forces mid-month. Do you need a getaway, Sag? Where would you most like to go? Dream big and start planning!
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 3rd house of communication. A writing project you are currently working on may need some serious revisions around the time of this Full Moon. Take a step back and proofread your work. Give a chapter or two on ancient flutes to another trusted flutist for a second set of eyes. Are there better ways to streamline your ideas? Have you veered off-topic?
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. You may be considering going back to school for additional training. Use this opportunity to chat with a career advisor or a colleague who may have pursued a similar course of study. Going back for a degree in Musicology? Chat with your historian friends – where are there opportunities for growth in the profession?
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 3rd house of communications. You have learned a lot about different forms of communication over the past few months. Have you taught Zoom lessons during this time? Is that something that you could incorporate into your current studio practice? Have you started a flute blog or YouTube channel? How can you revise your posting schedule or better vary your content?
July 29th – Mars moves into your 10th house of career goals. Mars will ask you to create new action plans for your career goals. You are ready to take the next steps now that you have clarified what you truly want to be when you grow up. What is the first step? Is it applying to that exciting new teaching job in another state? Go for it! Is it auditioning for a new ensemble? Brush up your excerpts and apply!
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
July 9th – New Moon in your 7th house of relationships. You will make an important new friend at the beginning of the month! There are really great opportunities to collaborate with this individual in the coming weeks and months. Put your heads together and come up with some plans. Can you host a joint recital? Record a CD or a set of videos? Have you met a composer that has a great new flute work waiting to be debuted? Start planning your next performance.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 7th house of relationships. Schedule a coffee chat with your new connection. Listen carefully to what they have to say as there will be a lot of great ideas shared between the two of you. You may be coming from different worlds but there are opportunities to mesh your expertise into a wonderful project. Keep an open mind!
July 21st – Venus moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. Start daydreaming of your perfect adventure abroad when Venus moves into your 9th house. Where would you most like to go? Is it a Hawaiian beach or a deserted castle in Europe? Is there a unique place that you would like to visit where you could play your flute out in nature? Start envisioning your perfect trip!
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 8th house of banking and finance. Time to tidy up your finances when these two join forces. Was your quarantine spending a bit unpredictable? Where can you re-budget? Do you have enough to purchase new music or other flute accessories? Pay your bills, cancel any unneeded subscription services, and set up a separate account for all of your flute needs.
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 2nd house of income. One of your income streams may be changing or even ending around the time of this Full Moon. Losing a student? What can you do to set this student up for success in the future (whether or not they continue in your studio)? Start recruiting for the open position when the time is right.
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. This is a great time to meet with a financial advisor. By now you have cut out many unnecessary expenses, but this individual will help you start planning for the future. This may the immediate future (with the purchase of a new flute on the horizon) or the distant future (planning for retirement).
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 2nd house of income. Jupiter will ask you to reflect on your job (or jobs, if you have a number of side hustles). Is the time and effort you put into these responsibilities reflective of the income or exposure you receive at the end of the day? Are they personally or professionally rewarding to you in other ways? Correct any imbalances on your path to job satisfaction.
July 29th – Mars moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. Start planning that adventure you were dreaming about at the beginning of the month. Book the plane tickets! Investigate hotels! What does your dream vacation itinerary include (even if it is simply to “veg on the beach”)? Pick out your ideal dates and start planning.
Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
July 9th – New Moon in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You may be receiving some additional responsibilities at work around the time of this Full Moon. What can you do to rearrange your rehearsal and practice time to accommodate for these new to-do’s? This new opportunity will be well worth the effort you put in to safely add it to your schedule.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Discuss what these new responsibilities will entail with your supervisor or conductor. What exactly is needed from you and what is the most efficient way to get the job done? How are you being compensated for your extra time and attention? Try not to give too much of yourself without discussing the plan clearly with others.
July 21st – Venus moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. You will be a master at the power of attraction when it comes to money. There may be a large purchase on your mind (such as a new flute). You are super motivated to find the resources to make this purchase. Investigate payment and savings plans. Set up a Go-Fund Me. You may be surprised with a gift from a very supportive relative or friend.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 7th house of relationships. Get ready to be a social butterfly when these two join forces. Connect with flute friends near and far. What are they working on? Are they attending any local or national conventions this summer (virtual or otherwise)? Are there any opportunities to collaborate? Network! Network! Network!
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 1st house of identity. You are in need of a flute playing makeover! This is a special time when pumpkins turn into carriages and mice transform into horses. What isn’t working in your flute life? Are you performing as much as you would like? Do have as many students as you’d like or would you like to expand your practice to include more virtual lessons? What would you like to change about your flute playing in general? Tone? Technique? Articulation? Reinvent yourself!
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 7th house of relationships. Schedule a coffee chat (virtual or otherwise) with some of your closest colleagues. Is there an opportunity here to start a new chamber group? We are already knee deep into wedding season, but you could start advertising to perform at late summer/early fall events. You might even start devising unique repertoire for any upcoming winter weddings. Share ideas with your colleagues.
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 1st house of identity. Jupiter is going to ask you to do some true soul searching. You may be reinventing yourself given all that you have learned over the past several months. You are not the same musician that you were in, say, March 2020. As much as some people are eager to hop into a Delorian and return to the “good old days,” those days no longer exist. Be a new musician and an even more creative flutist than yesterday!
July 29th – Mars moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. Create a savings plan when Mars moves into your 8th house. Weed out any unnecessary expenses such as subscription services you do not use or outdated gym memberships. Set up automatic payments for essential bills. What are you left with at the end of the day? How can you best invest this money?
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
July 9th – New Moon in your 5th house of creativity and joy. You may be inspired to start working on a creative venture around the time of this New Moon. This could be an idea that you had in previous months but lacked the motivation or confidence to get it done. Just take the first steps. Start with a simple melody. How can you transform this melody? Think outside of the box.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. This is a great time to brainstorm ideas with some of your trusted colleagues. What inspires other composers? What do they think about the basic structure of your piece? What advice do they have for you as you embark down the path of creative intuition?
July 21st – Venus moves into your 7th house of relationships. Venus will help you make a number of new music friends who are eager to learn about your unique experiences and current ventures. Attend summer conferences (virtual or otherwise) and connect with musicians you would not normally collaborate with. They will also help you think outside the box. Look for opportunities to work together on future projects.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You will no doubt be super busy when the Sun and Mars join forces. Try to get as much done during this very productive time as possible. Reschedule all of those makeup lessons. Book all of those extra rehearsals with your accompanist. Go to those committee meetings that you otherwise avoid. Practice, exercise, and make sure to get enough sleep to retain energy.
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. Something you had been practicing is just not coming together around this Full Moon. You may have tried everything – slowing it down, practicing with a metronome, transposing it, chunking it, rewriting it. It’s totally okay to file it away and try something else. Not every piece of music will resonate with every performer.
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. This is a great time to have all of those meetings that you have been putting off. You may need to have some difficult conversations about time management. Just be honest. Your schedule has likely spiraled out of control. Take back your time!
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. Jupiter will ask you to rethink how you practice. You have probably experimented with different techniques over the past few months. Perhaps you have altered the time of day you practice, the routine you use, or even tried practicing in shorter, more focused bursts. What worked for you? What didn’t? What techniques can you continue to use in the future?
July 29th – Mars moves into your 7th house of relationships. This is a great time to hop on a flute forum or attend a flute event (virtual or otherwise) and make new flute friends! Not to scope out the competition but rather to make genuine connections with like-minded artists. We are all stronger when we work together!
Aries (March 21-April 19)
July 9th – New Moon in your 4th house of home family. You may be moving your studio practice either to a home studio environment or vice-versa (moving your home studio to an off-site location). This will require you to change the way you organize your space. Spruce it up with some beautiful yet functional furniture, an inspiring piece of artwork, or updated technology.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 4th house of home family. Start getting the word out about your new studio location. Advertise new openings on social media, at local schools, and with your favorite instrument shop. Start scheduling trial lessons in your new space. Ask your students what works and what doesn’t. This will be very valuable feedback to help you better adapt to your new surroundings.
July 21st – Venus moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Venus in the 6th calls for you to add self-love activities to your usual daily to-dos. As Maude from the Big Lebowski would say, “What do you do for recreation?” Meditate. Go for a long walk. Light a candle and read your favorite book. Watch a performance of your favorite symphony on YouTube. Do what makes your soul shine.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 5th house of creativity and joy. Roll up your sleeves and get to work when these two join forces. This is the perfect energy for an Aries to do what an Aries does best – get the job done! You have a really good idea for a creative project that you are ready to dive into. If this is a video series, start filming. A composition – start writing. A recording project – start rehearsing. You are unstoppable!
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 11th house of groups and communities. You may be saying goodbye to one of your performing groups around the time of this Full Moon. The rehearsal schedule may not work with your current performance line-up. Or perhaps you have been asked to join another group. Whatever the reason, exit gracefully and do what you can to not burn any bridges.
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. This is a good time to brainstorm wild, crazy, but totally awesome new ideas for your creative project with a trust colleague. They may have some great feedback or suggestions for making your work even better. Is there an opportunity to incorporate their expertise into your project?
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. Jupiter will be asking you to take an honest look at how much time you devote to performing in both small and large ensembles. You may be running yourself a bit thin hopping from one rehearsal to another. How can you make your time both inside and outside of rehearsal the most efficient? Try to prioritize your music and focus on those nit-picky items you know your conductor will want in tip-top shape.
July 29th – Mars moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Mars will have you very busy at the end of the month. Book all of those extra rehearsals and sectionals during this time. Reschedule any lessons and attend any committee meetings. Try to avoid burnout by scheduling adequate time to eat, sleep, practice, and exercise (you know, the essentials).
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
July 9th – New Moon in your 3rd house of communication. This is the perfect time to start drafting that article or book that you have always wanted to write. Start with an outline. What will you discuss and how will you structure your writing? Start researching your basic points, pointing to scholarly evidence or score analysis to make your case.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 3rd house of communication. This is also a really good time to set up your flute blog and start sharing some of your ideas with a broader internet audience. Devise a posting schedule and a targeted word count for each post. Start brainstorming a few blog ideas.
July 21st – Venus moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. It is always beautiful and inspiring when the planet of love is situated in the house of love and joy. Play from the heart during this time. What pieces speak to your soul? What works make you smile? What excerpts make you nostalgic? Forget about the Taffanel and Gaubert scale studies or the Anderson etudes you “should” work on momentarily and just have fun with familiar favorites.
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 4th house of home and family. Roll up your sleeves and work on all of those home or studio renovations when the Sun and Mars join forces. Move the furniture around. Replace old, outdated filing systems. Digitize any documents or music that can be scanned and destroy any paperwork or media that you no longer need. Refresh your environment.
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 10th house of career goals. Take an honest look at your career goals around the time of this Full Moon. Are you on track to being the flutist you want to be or have your ambitions shifted? You do not need to be the flutist that other people, however well-meaning, want you to be. Be the flutist, flute teacher, conductor, hot shot, etc. that YOU truly want to be. There is no one way to be a flutist.
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 4th house of home and family. This is a great time to have a family discussion about all of the changes you are making to your home studio or practice environment. Ask them honestly about your teaching or practice schedule. Is something not quite working for them? Is there a better way to rearrange your time? Would it be possible to sound-proof your space as a win-win for your housemates? Compromises may be comforting.
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 10th house of career goals. Jupiter will ask you to carefully consider how much time and effort you devote to your career goals. You may be out of balance or distracted by responsibilities that do not really move you toward your most important goals. Reprioritize! Give more of yourself in the areas that move you forward and bow out of those that end up being time-wasters.
July 29th – Mars moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. Mars will motivate you to get to work on that super cool creative project that you have been thinking about for the past few days, week, months, or even years. You have a great idea brewing – what do you need to get the ball rolling? Grab a glass of wine start thinking outside of the box.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
July 9th – New Moon in your 2nd house of income. You may be getting a new job around the time of this New Moon. Congrats! You won the audition! Bask in your success but also start preparing for the next steps. What will this new role entail? Prep what can be prepped right now to set yourself up for a smooth transition in the coming weeks.
July 11th – Mercury moves into your 2nd house of income. This is a good time to sit down with your current supervisor or conductor and let them know about your new opportunity. Work closely with them to set up a recruitment plan for your replacement. What can you do to leave on the best foot possible? Keep your former colleagues in the loop about your future plans.
July 21st – Venus moves into your 4th house of home and family. Take your family out for a picnic or a day at the beach when Venus moves into your 4th house. Leave your flute at home and just have some fun. An outing may be just what you need to celebrate your recent successes!
July 22nd – The Sun joins Mars in your 3rd house of communication. Do you have a flute blog yet, Gemini (I would be surprised if you didn’t as Gemini’s are typically master communicators!). When the Sun and Mars join forces, you will be inspired to write up a storm on your blog. Brainstorm ideas for a new blog series and just start writing. You have a lot of info to share with the World – Go for it!
July 23rd – Full Moon in your 9th house of travel and higher education. A trip you had been planning may be canceled or postponed around the time of this Full Moon. Was a masterclass you were planning to perform at switched unexpectedly to a virtual format? Not to worry – Start planning a bigger and better adventure for a future date. Where would you most like to go?
July 27th – Mercury moves into your 3rd house of communication. When the planet of communication enters the house of communication, you will again be writing up a storm. Can you transform one of your blog post ideas into an entire article or even a book? Do you have a really unique teaching or practice technique that you would like to share with the World? Start writing about it. Proofread your work and send it onward to a potential publisher. The worst they can say is no.
July 28th – Jupiter (still in retrograde) moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. You may have taken on a new course of study during the past few months. Jupiter will ask you to reconsider how best to incorporate these lessons into your life moving forward. Although many would like to hop in a time machine and go back to, say, March 2020, the reality of the “new normal” has changed and you have changed right along with it. How do the lessons you’ve learned translate into the person you have become? What other lessons are there to learn?
July 29th – Mars moves into your 4th house of home and family. Renovate your studio space at the end of the month when Mars moves signs. How can you update your current space to create a warmer, more inviting, but still super productive, teaching environment? Update your furniture. Remove any outdated throw rugs or distracting décor. Add a beautiful painting and a larger mirror. Paint the walls a fun color and select new window coverings that brighten the room.
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Happy July!