In describing motions it is traditional to speak of them in terms of what they appear to be rather than what they are. The west wind personifies the wind that comes out of the west but which actually blows in an easterly direction. Because of the axial rotation of the Earth, the planets appear to rise over the Ascendant and travel across the meridian to the west, while they actually travel in the opposite direction. The Signs likewise appear to travel in a westerly direction while actually they do not travel at all. When we say the Sun is in Taurus, we are not actually speaking of the Sun's travel or of its position, but of the Earth's position and travel as measured by the Sun.
ASTROLABE ENCYCLOPEDIA
