  Measurements of polarization and temperature dependent soft x-ray absorption
have been performed on Na_xCoO_2 single crystals with x=0.4 and x=0.6. They
show a deviation of the local trigonal symmetry of the CoO_6 octahedra, which
is temperature independent in a temperature range between 25 K and 372 K. This
deviation was found to be different for Co^{3+} and Co^{4+} sites. With the
help of a cluster calculation we are able to interpret the Co L_{23}-edge
absorption spectrum and find a doping dependent energy splitting between the
t_{2g} and the e_g levels (10Dq) in Na_xCoO_2.
