DR. G’s FLUTE HOROSCOPES September 2021
by Rachel Taylor Geier
Welcome to (almost) Fall! The planets continue their steady march forward for most of the month, setting a stable stage for the Mercury retrograde on September 26th. Venus and Mars will be moving houses, helping you to reevaluate what matters most to you and how to best expend your energy. Follow the messages that you receive from the Universe – You will not be led astray. The Mercury retrograde will ask you to review, reevaluate, and redesign your life. As with any Mercury retrograde, make sure to back up technology and avoid singing any contracts. Be careful with any communications and keep emails and text messages clear and concise. Remember that a Mercury retrograde is all about reflection. The chaos that often erupts during a retrograde is meant to expose weaknesses, clearing the way for positive changes in the future. Embrace these changes at the end of the month.
Virgo (August 23-September 22) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 1st house of identity. You are ready to reinvent yourself, your teaching, and your flute playing (just in time for a new school year). Pay attention to any gifts offered from the University at this time. There is something new about to enter your life that will change what you value and who you are as a flutist.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 3rd house of communications. Write from the heart when Venus moves houses. Do you have a flute blog? This would be a great time to write about some of your past experiences and how those events have transformed you into the awesome flutist you are today. You may inspire someone struggling with the same lessons.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 2nd house of income. This is a great time to ask your boss or conductor for a raise, or at least more responsibilities in your current role. Would you like to try your hand at more principal roles in orchestra? Have a chat with your conductor. What stands between where you are now and were you would like to be? Mars will help you put in the work (or practice time) to land a promotion.
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 7th house of relationships. There may be a relationship in your life that needs to change or even end around the time of this Full Moon. Do you have a student that does not practice? Have an honest chat with this student. How can you motivate them to practice both the fun stuff (repertoire) and foundational exercises such as scales and etudes?
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 2nd house of income. You may be receiving a pay raise or even a job offer when the Sun switches signs. Your hard work earlier in the month is being noticed by superiors and you are about to be compensated for your efforts. Good work! Celebrate your successes and prepare for the next chapter in your flute playing life.
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 2nd house of income. You may have a few miscommunications at work when Mercury goes retrograde. If you are leaving your current position for another, you may have a few colleagues that are not exactly happy about the situation. Try to be patient with them. You may be moving on to great things, but they are having a difficult time replacing you in their organization.
Libra (September 23-October 22)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. You will likely be working on a new piece of repertoire in the practice room at the beginning of the month. Did you hear an interesting piece at a summer convention? Try it out! Can this be added to your next recital?
September 10th – Venus moves into your 2nd house of income. You will be quite popular at work when Venus changes signs. This is a great time to host a recital (virtual or otherwise). Perform the pieces that inspire you the most. What do you love about each work?
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 1st house of identity. Remember at the beginning of the year when you created a list of New Year’s Resolutions? How much progress have you made on your goals since then? If you have not yet accomplished as much as you had hoped, Mars will help you roll up your sleeves and get back to work. Select three of your most important goals. What is the next step? Schedule it. Book it. Practice it. Do whatever needs to be done next. Carpe diem!
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Something in your daily schedule is just not working anymore. Are you struggling to squeeze in enough practice time each day? Are you constantly running to meetings that could be emails? Have you volunteered for a committee that you do not have time for? It’s okay to streamline your schedule. Work-life balance is important. Do not burn the candle at both ends.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 1st house of identity. When the Sun shifts signs, you will crave a makeover. This could be a makeover for your flute, your flute playing, your physical appearance, or your life in general. We all have times in our lives when we need to end our relationship with things that do not serve us in order to make more room (time, energy, space) for the things that bring us happiness and fulfillment. What are those things in your life?
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 1st house of identity. Mercury will ask you to reflect on all of the lessons you have learned with respect to your most important goals. Look again at your New Year’s Resolutions and the progress you have already made this month. Are you on track? Do the goals you made nine months ago still resonate or do you need to create new, more relevant goals. Write a Mid-Year’s Resolution list!
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 11th house of groups and communities. You will likely be joining a new performing group or assuming a new role in an existing performing group. Congratulations! You won the audition. Connect with your new colleagues at the first rehearsal. What do they enjoy most about performing with this group?
September 10th – Venus moves into your 1st house of identity. You will be extremely popular when Venus moves into your sign. This is the very best time to host a recital (virtual or otherwise). If a recital is not in the cards, try posting a series of YouTube videos on your channel. Have fun creating music and connecting to those that love what you do as much as you do.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. You will be practicing anything and everything when Mars moves into the 12th house. Practice all of the new repertoire you heard at masterclasses over the summer. Dig out those old etude books that made you want to cry (or throw your music across the room in a fit of anger (Scorpio here – can relate!)). Give them another try now that you are older and wiser. Use them to polish up your technique.
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 5th house of creativity and joy. A creative project you had been working on just isn’t coming together like you had envisioned. Did you create a timeline that is simply impossible to adhere to given all of your other responsibilities? Is the project just too broad? Review and revise. Think smaller - Sometimes less is more.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. Your focus will be on the practice room when the Sun moves signs. Revise how you practice, how often you practice, where you practice, and when you practice. Is there a time of day when your practice sessions are more focused and productive? How do you organize your routine? Is there a better way to structure your time?
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. This is a great time to return to your favorite pieces from the past. Practice old standards (hello, Mozart, how are ya?). What can you do to make the old new again? Experiment with changing the tone colors or adding some clever dynamics or ornamentations. Better yet, try your hand a writing a cadenza! Make it better than it was before.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 10th house of career goals. You may be offered a new career opportunity at the beginning of the month. Audition for a new group lately? The job could be yours! Interview for a new job teaching at local college? The committee may indeed call you back for a second interview. Put your best foot forward and follow the direction of the Universe. Something wonderful is about to happen in your career.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. You will be spending some quality time in the practice room when Venus moves signs. Use this time to work on your sound. What do you love about your sound? How can you change your sound to fit the color of the music? Play through a few melodies that you love and experiment with new ways to find your center.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 11th house of groups and communities. Mars will encourage you to fill your schedule up with rehearsals. This may include orchestra sectionals as well as any extra rehearsals that are needed with your chamber ensemble. Make sure that your time is used efficiently. Create a list of objectives at the beginning of each rehearsal and stick to your goals.
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 4th house of home and family. Something in your environment just is not working anymore. When was the last time that you renovated your home studio space? Can you update any electronics (computers, mics, etc.)? Is there bulky old furniture taking up real estate? Toss it! If it doesn’t work, replace it.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. You will be knee-deep in rehearsals again when the Sun moves signs. Make sure not to burn out! Drink plenty of water and take breaks (for real – not just practicing difficult passages during break time – take an actual break away from your flute). Do what you can to stay focused during these long sessions (aka turn off your phone).
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 11th house of groups and communities. You may have a disagreement or two with your orchestra colleagues when Mercury goes retrograde. Chances are that you are all tired of rehearsing and not communicating properly. Try to remain patient with your flute friends when it comes to intonation, matching vibrato speeds, and agreeing on tempos. Save the drama for Obama.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 9th house of travel and higher education. Are you planning a trip somewhere, Capricorn? Trying to squeeze in one last adventure before the school year starts? Go ahead and book that getaway. Leave your flute at home and travel to somewhere new.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 11th house of groups and communities. You will genuinely be enjoying the time you spend in rehearsals when Venus moves signs. The brain fog of the summer has lifted and you are now super focused on your orchestra music. Master those cues. Work out intonation issues with other sections. Woodshed those technical bits. Play out when you’ve got the spotlight and hang back when are you supporting others.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 10th house of career goals. Where would you like to take your flute playing in the next year? Next five years? Next ten years? Are you on track to attaining these goals or do you need to revise some of your plans? What is the next best series of steps? Mars will help you make new progress, weather small (practicing excerpts) or large (applying to jobs that seem out of your league). Just go for it!
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 3rd house of communications. If you are working on a writing project, you may find yourself doing some serious proofreading around the time of the Full Moon. Take a step back and look at the bigger design of your project. Are you connecting to a clear, overall message or have you veered off-track from your original thesis? Are your musical examples clear and do you explain your points concisely? Sometimes less is more.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 10th house of career goals. Mars ignited a fire under you to start thinking bigger when it comes to your flute career. You may have felt like a hamster on a wheel lately, practicing the same music and teaching the same lessons. The Sun will encourage you to think bigger. Audition for new groups looking for a talented flutist. Apply to teaching jobs that call for your unique skills. Time to put yourself out there!
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 10th house of career goals. You are brimming with ideas for new action steps to take in your career. When Mercury goes retrograde, take a step back and distill your action items into the smaller steps that you can take right now. This could mean applying to one job per week or recording and posting one new video per month. Start small and build progress one step and a time.
Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 8th house of banking and finance. Are you ready to invest in a brand-new flute, Aquarius? Do you need to figure out a reasonable way to pay for your dream instrument? The New Moon will encourage you to explore possible financing and loan plans either offered directly through instrument retailers or through your local banking institution. You may be surprised by the options that are available to you, making it possible to own a new flute sooner than you think.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 10th house of career goals. Venus will help you feel super good about your flute playing career. This is a wonderful time to host a recital or masterclass. You are motivated to share your love of the flute with others. Inspire other flutists around you with your passion and drive.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 9th house of travel and higher education. Mars will encourage you to go on an adventure. Catch the last few rays of the summer sun with an outing to a local beach or a quiet hike through the woods. Leave your flute at home and soak in some Vitamin D before the weather changes.
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 2nd house of income. One of your income streams may be coming to an end around the time of this Full Moon. Have you been gigging on a contract that is nearing its end date? Don’t panic. Another income stream or series of gigs is just around the corner. Do what you can to wrap up your performances on a high note.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. Your focus will shift onto learning something new when the Sun moves signs. Are you going back to school, by any chance? Sign up for those classes that seem totally off the wall but interesting. Learn to speak Russian. Take up a new instrument. Learn to play a new style of music. Think outside of the music box.
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 9th house of travel and higher education. Brace yourself for travel delays and trip cancelations when Mercury turns retrograde. Have a back-up plan. If your trip is cancelled, plan a bigger, better trip in the future. Mercury retrograde will require a bit of flexibility and creative thinking. Be patient with the twists and turns of fate.
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 7th house of relationships. You will make an important new connection around the time of this New Moon. This is a great time to attend any networking events (virtual or otherwise) and connect with other flutists from around the World. Answer a question or two on a flute forum. Comment on a blog post or video that you enjoy. The flute world is a lot smaller than it seems and we are definitely stronger when we work together. Make new flute friends.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 9th house of travel and higher education. Take a deep dive into a subject that you love when Venus moves houses. Are you a history buff? Spend some time reading an interesting biography about Paul Taffanel or Frederick the Great. Interested in learning more about the ins and outs of recording or producing music. Take a course at a local college or hit up a professional in the field. Learn something new and interesting this month.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 8th house of banking and finance. There is a major purchase that you are wanting to make (a new flute, perhaps). Mars will give you a new wave of determination to finally make it happen. Use this energy to research what financing and loans plans may be available to you. Can you work with your financial institution to devise a realistic savings plan with a goal of purchasing your goal in the next 12 months? Plan it out and start saving your money!
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 1st house of identity. You are in serious need of a makeover and will be inspired to overhaul something very important in your life. This could be your flute (time for a tune up!), your flute playing (how would you like to change your sound?), or the way you approach teaching or performing. Start doing some research into new approaches and sit down with another flutist that you admire. What advice do they have for you on your path to reinventing yourself?
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. Your focus will again shift onto saving for your major purchase when the Sun moves signs. Start scheduling instrument trials to get an idea of makes and models of flutes you may be interested in that fit within your budget. What bells and whistles might you want to invest in? What types of headjoints sound best to you? Would you like a C# trill, split-E mechanism, or any other upgrade?
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 8th house of banking and finance. Be careful to check your bank accounts when Mercury goes retrograde. A Mercury retrograde can sometimes cause weird glitches with automatic payments and direct deposits due to its influence on technology. Make sure the power bill is still being paid on autopay and your paycheck does not contain any mystery deductions. Address problems as they occur.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You may be adding a new responsibility to your work life, Aries. Have you been asked to adjudicate a local flute competition or chair placement exams at a local community college? This is a very meaningful project for you, so do what you can to delegate other tasks to trusted colleagues to make enough time for these new responsibilities.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 8th house of banking and finance. Venus will help you attract the funding you need to make a major purchase in the not-so-distant future. Are you interested in purchasing a new flute? You may find a wealthy relative wanting to help you with your purchase around this time. Take your current instrument to a retailer to obtain a quote. If you sold this instrument, how much would you need to save on top of that to purchase a new instrument? Start collecting your resources.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 7th house of relationships. This is a great time to network with new flute friends! Organize a get-together (virtual or otherwise) with flutists in your local community. What is everybody working on? What orchestra performances or festivals are coming up? Are there calls for volunteers on music projects around the community? Connect. Connect. Connect. You may be surprised at possibilities there are to collaborate with local talent.
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 12th house of behind-the-scenes activities. A piece you have been working tirelessly on in the practice room may be on the chopping block around the time of this Full Moon. You have practiced this music forwards, backwards, upside down, slowly, with different rhythms and keys, and nothing seems to be coming together. It is okay to move on to a different piece that speaks more to your skills and abilities. You do not need to become a prisoner of your music.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 7th house of relationships. Your focus will once again shift onto strengthening your connections with other flutists. This is a great time to do a bit of social networking with flutists on Facebook forums, commenting on interesting tweets, and interacting with fascinating blog posts by other flutists. You may find an idea or two that speaks to you. Make new friends online.
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 7th house of relationships. Keep your communications with friends and family clear and concise when Mercury goes retrograde at the end of the month. There is a good chance that messages will become crossed. Try not to read too much into other people’s words. Be patient and flexible. Avoid verbal chaos in all forms.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 5th house of creativity and joy. The New Moon will inspire you to start working on a wonderful new creative project. Have you always wanted to try your hand at composing? Start writing a few melodies and see where it takes you. Want to record a series of videos of your favorite unaccompanied pieces? Invest in a decent camera and microphone set up and start recording. Follow your inspiration.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 7th house of relationships. You will meet your new best friend when Venus moves houses. There is another musician that you truly resonate with. Venus will help you create a wonderful new connection to this person, opening the door to fascinating conversations and inspiring collaborations in the weeks and months to come.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You will be super busy when Mars moves into your 6th house. Schedule all of the rehearsals and sectionals. Book all of the lessons and make-up lessons. Plan in strict time blocks in your schedule to practice specific repertoire or to work on writing or teaching projects. Mars will help give you the energy to get everything done on your to-do list while Mercury will help you follow up on any of those pesky emails that are awaiting your response. This will a very productive period.
September 20th – A Full Moon appears 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. It is likely that the performance schedule no longer fits into your current docket or that you have accepted another position in a competing ensemble. It is okay to move on if needed. Try not to burn any bridges and leave the possibility of your return open if scheduling improves in the future.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. You will again be very busy when the Sun moves signs. This is a good time to streamline anything in your schedule. Is there any room to delegate some of your responsibilities to others? Do you really need to serve on that committee you volunteered for over the summer? Can you time-batch your teaching days? How can your practice time be more efficient? Create a daily schedule that allows enough time for everything without leading you to burnout at the end of the day.
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Make some space in your schedule for any travel delays or glitches in technology at the end of the month. Mercury retrograde can be a bit unpredictable. Make sure you have a back-up plan in the event that in-person meetings are suddenly moved online or if you experience power shut-downs on Zoom-heavy meeting days. Flexibility is key during this time.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 4th house of home and family. You may be moving to a new part of town or even to a new state or country around the time of this New Moon. Something is changing in a big way in your environment. This could even be as simple as moving to new location for your flute studio, whether that is transitioning from a home studio to a dedicated studio space at a local music store or a larger office at a school or university. How can you make this new space work more efficiently than your old space?
September 10th – Venus moves into your 6th house of daily work and health routines. Venus will bring a bit of fun and happiness into your daily routine when it moves houses. Do something fun during your time away from the daily grind. Take a walk in nature or go shopping at your favorite store. Get lost in a book or simply hang out with a trusted friend or colleague (even virtually). Being a musician does not have to be all work and no play. Do something that makes you smile.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 5th house of creativity and joy. Mars will encourage you to roll up your sleeves and make some great progress on a creative project. Composing a piece of music? Try out a few new themes. Can you add another movement to the mix? Experiment with even your craziest ideas. There may be a bit of value in crazy.
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 10th house of career goals. This is a great time to take a step back and reexamine some of your career goals. Are you morphing into the flutist that you truly wish to be or are you on a career track given to you by a well-meaning teacher that does not really reflect your true interests or abilities? There is no one right way to a flutist. If you do not enjoy performing, you do not need to be a performer. Find something else that inspires you.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. Your focus will again shift back onto that creative project you have been working on. The Sun may give you some new ideas to try. How can you use these ideas in your current project? Does this instead inspire other related projects? Use this time to think outside of the box.
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 5th house of creativity and joy. This is a great time to really think about what makes you happy when it comes to your flute playing. Can you think back to a time when you were particularly proud of a performance you gave or a masterclass you led? Why did it make you happy? What opportunities do you have to duplicate that happiness in the future?
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 3rd house of communications. This is a great time to start working on any article or book ideas you may have brewing. Start outlining your idea. What type of evidence or examples will you use? Is there any interesting research that you can point to or quotes from scholars, historians, or other performers that would support your overall idea? Start brainstorming.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 5th house of creativity and joy. The planet of joy will be in your house of joy. This means only means one thing – Have fun! Use this time to invest in self-care. The summer may have been a bit stressful for you, Cancer. A lot of changes have been taking place, both good and not-so-good. Venus will ask you to de-stress. Light some candles, put on some relaxing music, pour a glass of wine and do whatever makes you happy.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 4th house of home and family. Mars will inspire you to take care of any of those home renovation or studio redecorating projects. What can you do to improve your current space? Replace any old, broken down furniture and update technology (preferable before the Mercury retrograde). Add a plant or an inspirational piece of art to your space.
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 9th house of travel and higher education. A trip you had been planning may be postponed or canceled around the time of this Full Moon (bummer!). Try to not panic. Instead, start making plans for a bigger and better trip in the future. January in Hawaii perhaps?
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 4th house of home and family. Your focus will shift back onto your home environment when the Sun changes houses. This is a good time for a family meeting. Compare schedules and discuss any upcoming performances and events. This is also a good time to start brainstorming holiday plans (of course around any pre-scheduled holiday performances).
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 4th house of home and family. There may be a miscommunication or two with family members when Mercury goes retrograde. Try to remain patient with others during this time. Messages may be misinterpreted. Texts may not arrive. Emails may get lost. Google calendars may not be updated. Communicate as clearly as you can but be as flexible with others as possible if they are not hearing what you are saying.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
September 6th – A New Moon appears in your 2nd house of income. You may be offered a new job around the time of this New Moon. Congrats! Start planning for this new opportunity well before the start date. What will your new responsibilities look like? Are you moving from playing second flute to piccolo? Brush up on all of the standard piccolo excerpts and work on basic tone and technique exercises.
September 10th – Venus moves into your 4th house of home and family. Spend some quality time with your family when Venus moves houses. This is a great time for a family picnic in the park or a day at the beach. Leave your flute at home and simply have a good time with the ones you love.
September 14th – Mars joins Mercury in your 3rd house of communications. Write, write, then write some more. Mars will help you be quite prolific on any book or article projects and Mercury will help you to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. This is also a great time to set up a flute blog and start posting a series of entries on flute topics that interest you. Is there a composer whose work or life story inspires you? Do you have some good flute teaching tips? Write about it!
September 20th – A Full Moon appears in your 8th house of banking and finance. You may be making the final payment on a loan or credit card. Did you recently purchase a new flute? Congratulations – you are about to pay the final bill! Make sure all of the final i’s are dotted and t’s crossed before Mercury goes retrograde to save yourself any headaches.
September 22nd – The Sun moves into your 3rd house of communications. Your focus will again shift onto any writing projects. This is a great time to advertise some of your blog posts or recent articles. Take to social media. Link to your work from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and any other outlet you are active on. Chances are there are other flutists out there that will value your ideas and relate to some of your experiences.
September 26th – Mercury goes retrograde in your 3rd house of communications. It is always challenging when the planet of communication goes retrograde in the house of communication. You will likely experience miscommunications with, well, everybody during the Mercury retrograde. Try to keep outgoing messages clear and concise. Remain patient with anyone that needs clarification on ideas or directives. Be very careful when it comes to text messages and emails. Flexibility is the name of the game during this time.
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Happy September!