Have your hearing aids been acting up lately? Your speech-to-text app cutting in and out more than usual? Perhaps Mercury in retrograde is to blame. I first heard the expression a few summers ago at my yoga teacher training. On the first day our instructors warned that our entire training was during such a period. They told us to expect technology flubs, missed communications and even messed up travel plans. But my first thought was for my hearing aids and other listening devices — would they survive the planetary shift?
What is Mercury in Retrograde?
Mercury in retrograde occurs when the planet appears, when observed from Earth, to be moving backwards across the night sky. Because Mercury is the fastest planet in our solar system, this usually happens three to four times each year. Even when you know it is an optical illusion caused by differences in orbit, it can be disconcerting to see one planet seeming to move in opposition to the others.
In astrology, Mercury is the planet that rules communication, so when it is in retrograde, we can expect communication problems, technology failures and scheduling snafus. Most people think mis-delivered emails, cancelled flights or glitchy Zoom calls, but as a person with hearing loss, I think hearing aids or assistive listening devices on the fritz! Now that is a disaster written in the stars.
Take Care of Your Hearing Devices
Whether you believe in the impact of Mercury in retrograde or not, its occurrence three to four times a year is a good excuse to take a closer look at your hearing devices.
Have you:
- Changed the wax guards lately?
- Wiped down the outer casings to remove oil and debris?
- Cleaned the battery contacts?
- Replaced the tubing and domes?
- Replenished your supply of batteries?
- Scheduled your annual hearing check-up?
Regular maintenance of your hearing devices will keep them in tip-top shape and ready for action, Mercury in retrograde or not.
Readers, do you ever blame your hearing tech troubles on the stars?
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