Ep 7: Techno Trailblazer Julia Govor is the Queen of Reinvention
I picked out five Tarot cards that reflect the key wisdom from Julia's story - because every great story is a Tarot reading.
Meet Julia Govor
Julia makes reinvention look easy. And she credits it to staying curious, believing in people, listening to herself, and cultivating optimism.
https://www.instagram.com/juliagovor
Growing up in the Soviet Union around the Black Sea, Julia’s curiosity, intuition, creativity, and tenacity eventually led her to local fame in Moscow as a music journalist for MTV Russia and early pioneer of internet television. She then reinvented herself as a techno dj in Berlin. In 2013 she moved to New York with no local community and without a strong grasp of English. She navigated this challenge by throwing herself into music production and launching her own record label, Jujuka Music.
Today Julia is renowned internationally for her innovative sound; The New Yorker called her music beguiling. She’s a regular at Tresor in Berlin and holds a residency at Public Records in New York where she also does programming focusing on modern techno and obscure club music.
She’s also currently realizing a long-held dream of having a space where she can host friends, create events, and pour people drinks as the managing partner of the artist-run bar, art and film space E-Flux Bar Laika in Clinton Hill in Brooklyn.
Some quotes from highlights from the episode below, supported by Tarot coaching - because every great story is a Tarot reading.
Julia is warm, funny, and honest about her journey and what it takes to build a life with Character, one that takes you to places you would’ve never imagined.
If you’re considering a new transition, building a career based in creativity, or navigating a hard moment, this episode is for you!
”Have optimism towards everything you do and everyone who you meet, it gives you a different angle on any situation. We all had a bad situation. I had, everyone did. But if you look at this on a different angle, it helps you to go through so many phases and move on.”
Julia is channeling wisdom from The Fool and V of Cups. The Fool is the card of new chapters. You can see their optimism and sunny disposition as they venture far from home. These are essential ingredients to make any new endeavor successful. If you focus on your fears, you’ll never leave home. If you focus on the possibilities, the world opens up.
The V of Cups shows the importance of choosing the angle you look at any situation from. You’ll see the figure is focused on the three fallen cups, not realizing that behind them are two upright cups and the path back over the bridge and into community. All is not lost, if you focus on what is working, you’ll see the path forward.
”You have to truly listen to yourself. Not what society is telling you, or your friends. No one can help you. Deep inside you have to listen to yourself…
This is High Priestess energy. If you want to hear yourself you have to listen. And if you want to truly listen you have to be do this intentionally, slow down and cut off stimulation. The High Priestess has a regular practice to connect to her inner world and inspiration from the divine. Highly creative people will talk about how they feel they are simply a channel for inspiration that flows through them. You can cultivate this within yourself by creating a regular meditative practice. Her place in the Tarot deck signifies her as one of the most imperative concepts to fulfillment and self-actualization. Your intuition is a subtle feeling, it requires your body to be quiet enough to recognize its signals. Building a practice to connect with yourself is one of the single-best things you can do to get into flow.
“I did it all by myself… but because I had such good intuition, I believe in people, I got so lucky to meet such wonderful people who helped me to be who I am today. It’s all connected and it’s all possible.”
The VI of Cups represents mentorship and guidance. You can see the larger figure giving a cup with flowers to the smaller figure. If you are open to people and believe in the best in people, like Julia does, life starts to flow. No one gets there alone. Learning how to be open for help and guidance will fast-track you wherever you’d like to go.
”It was really, really scary because I didn’t know what to expect. I had just moved country. I didn’t speak the language. I had just gotten married to someone who has a different culture… Music production became a place of refuge.”
This reminds me of the V of Pentacles. This card shows two figures struggling in the snow outside of a spiritual venue that can provide refuge if they choose to go in. In our toughest moments, when we’re filled with fear, navigating through requires us to find a spiritual practice. I say spiritual in the loosest terms. For Julia it was music. It could be any activity or community that provides you a tether in the midst of uncertainty.
”I adore artists who can dream, who are full of enthusiasm, and full of character… People who have their own personality, they don’t try to pretend that they’re someone they’re not. You can see character asap… how they move, how they talk, how they dress.”
The Hanged Man is the card of authenticity. It takes less energy to be yourself. He embodies it. His head is lit up with divine inspiration - an artist who can dream, as Julia says. His upside down pose is decidedly individual and against the grain. I love Julia’s description of Character. When you build a life with Character it reflects your unique personality, you’re not trying to mold yourself into a box, it’s expressed in everything you do.
I hope you enjoy this great conversation with a very singular artist.
Inspired and want this for yourself?
I help people launch new chapters. I do this by helping them connect to their unique form of creativity. Your creativity is your guide to carving your own path through life, to creating an energizing career and life you love - one with Character.
I offer one-off Tarot coaching session if you’d like to blend the wisdom and magic of the cards with coaching and advisory. This will feel like the most effective Tarot reading you’ve ever received.
Or, if you’re interested exploring deeper 1x1 work together you can schedule a free consultation. I work with people over 3-6 months to help you create clarity, self-trust, and momentum towards life’s next chapter.
You can learn more about my career fulfillment work by exploring my free resources.