  We have discovered a correlation between the X-ray absorbing column densities
within Seyfert galaxies and the relative alignment between the central engines
and their host galactic disks. This correlation carries several implications
for Seyfert unification models. (1) In addition to small-scale circumnuclear
absorbers, there are absorbing systems associated with the host galactic plane
that are capable of obscuring the broad line region emission. (2) The
misalignment between the central engine axis and that of the host galaxy arises
on intermediate scales between these absorbers. (3) The small-scale absorbers
have systematically higher column densities and may be universally
Compton-thick.
