The Parallax Moon in Primary Directions

In Book 16, Chapter 5, Morinus suggests two options for the “true place” of a planet on the Primum Mobile: (1) the position in the Ephemeris, which is based on a straight line drawn from the center of the Earth to the center of the planet on the Celestial Sphere, and (2) the position based on a straight line drawn from the EYE of the observer on the surface of the Earth to the center of the planet on the Celestial Sphere. Here, Morin has in mind “parallax view,” the apparent change in an object’s position that results from being viewed from different different angles of observation and the object’s distance from the observer. Of the two possibilities, Morin prefers the planet’s position as seen from the human eye on the surface of the Earth, that is, the so-called “parallax view” of the planet, especially so if we are dealing with the Moon whose ecliptic longitude may vary by as much as a full degree when it is near the horizon.

Morin writes (my translation): “Concerning these two true places, controversy ensues regarding which [“true place”] should be chosen, especially since the Moon being subject to parallax [view] should not be ignored. However, because we are significantly affected by the stars via their rays flowing into us, the true place on the Primum Mobile [as seen] by the [human] eye should be especially regarded as the true place of the Planet with respect to us and as the starting point of its aspects. Thus, minimally, the place of the Moon as derived from the Ephemerides will need to be corrected by parallax when doing [primary] directions, especially if it [the Moon] be close to the Horizon, as is more fully stated in Book 22. But the parallax [view] of other planets scarcely amounts to one or two minutes of arc” [which makes very little difference in primary directions].

Image from https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/attic/sunearthday.nasa.gov/2008eclipse/materials/LunarParallaxChallenge.pdf

Morin’s argument is that the Moon is so close to the Earth that its parallax position is preferred in calculating primary directions because the planets affect us by their rays impinging directly on our bodies. It is the parallax Moon whose rays land directly on us and are therefore more effective in directions. Morin makes the same argument in Book 17, Section 3, Chapter 2. Nonetheless, an examination of his charts reveals that he does not follow his own dictum in practice, since his published charts do not use the parallax lunar positions.

One of the few astrologers who takes the parallax view of the Moon into account is Martin Gansten, and he finds that it does work better in primary directions, just as Morin said it would.

To test Morin’s theory, I looked for a chart with a prominent Moon fairly near the horizon and came up with the chart of Albert Einstein who was born with Cancer rising, the Moon ruling the Ascendant andoccuping the 6th house not too far below the western horizon. Here are two birth charts for Einstein, one with and the other without the parallax Moon:

Albert Einstein: Moon’s position with respect to the Center of the Earth Albert Einstein birth chart with parallax Moon as viewed from the native’s postion on the surface of the Earth

As you can see, the “normal” chart used by most astrologers has the Moon at 14 Sag 31′. The other chart has the Moon with its parallax position at 13 Sag 57′ — a difference of 34 minutes of arc (a little more than half a degree).

To check what difference the parallax Moon might make in primary directions, I looked at the directions in the period surrounding his passing on April 18, 1955.

With the parallax Moon, the following directions occurred, as measured in Solar Fire, Naibod rate, without latitude, using Placidus semi-arc. Here is the list:

Directions with the parallax Moon show the directed Uranus square MC on April 9, 1955, very close to the date of his demise, and directed Asc-ruler parallax Moon opposing natal Sun on May 17, 1955, just a month later.

The same directions calculated with the same parameters in Janus 6 without the parallax Moon are as follows:

Einstein’s directions without latitude, Naibod rate, Placidus semi-arc. Note that Uranus square MC occurs on April 8, 1955, but the opposition of the Moon to the natal Sun occurs on Dec 25, 1955 — about 7 months after the same direction calculated with the parallax Moon.

The Moon, as Asc-ruler, signifies the native’s body and life-force. The Sun is dispositor by exaltation of 8th-ruler Saturn in Aries and of 12th-ruler Mercury, also in Aries. Thus, the directed opposition of the Moon to the Sun can signify the native’s serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Here, the parallax position of the Moon gives a much closer timing (about a month) to Einstein’s passing than the longitude of the Moon without parallax, which times the event to late December, more than 8 months after its occurrence. At least in this instance Morin’s advice to use the parallax position of the Moon in primary directions produces a much more accurate result.