Parallax
May 23rd, 2005Defined as “(1) the apparent displacement of an observed object due to a change in the position of the observer, or (2) apparent angular displacement of a celestial body due to its being observed from the earth instead of from the sun, or from the surface of the earth instead of from its center.”
The key word here is apparent. In other words the position of the viewer determines the viewer’s perception. This is a key to the workings of astrology. Our personal natal chart gives us a chance to understand the lens through which we view the world, allowing us to make unconcious material conscious. The new way of phrasing this is “Believing is seeing.”
I’ve read that the reason indigenous populations in South America were so easily conquered is because the god Quetzalcoatl was predicted to appear from the ocean. And since they were not familiar with the concept of boats, they actually did not see the Spaniards arriving, and only “saw” them once they landed, having appeared from the water.
This is how most of us live our lives, only noticing the things we are programmed to notice, whether through our social milieu, our genetic heritage, or our chart. In my mind they all provide complementary information.
The value of having a chart drawn up and interpreted is the chance to see that lens through which we view the world, thereby creating our reality. As a friend said to me in the 70’s “It’s all done with mirrors.” The chart gives us a glimpse of that mirror.
Related: Transits & Progressions, Point of View