The star Altair, constellation Aquila
(the Eagle), southern height, the airy aspect of Capricorn. According to the
Golden Dawn, the astrological attribution of this card is Mars in Capricorn,
relating to the second decan of this sign. Translated into the language of
Tarot symbolism according to the Golden Dawn key, it is a combination of the
Emperor and the Devil cards. Here we recognize the symbols of the cross and the
cube/square. Crowley points out that Mars in Capricorn is at its highest point
and therefore at its best as a builder rather than a destroyer. He states that
this card expresses the material establishment of the universe's idea, or the
solidification and determination of its basic form. According to the Golden
Dawn, the idea of this card is expressed by its mystical title, "The Lord
of Material Works," which can be summarized as work itself. These are
three interlinked disks. According to the teachings of this Order, this card is
interpreted as creative work, building, constructing, erecting, and even
commercial exchange. Picatrix describes the third decan of Capricorn
mystically, as the expression of seeking something that cannot be known or
reached, depicted by the image of two women and a man watching a bird fly away.
The constellation Aquila (the Eagle) belongs to the second decan of Capricorn, with its brightest star Altair possibly representing the stellar counterpart of the Three of Disks. This is the eagle from the shields of the ruling pair of the major arcana, the Emperor and the Empress. In the case of the Emperor, the eagle expresses the idea of royal dignity, adding a jovial aspect to the Emperor’s martial nature. The name of the star Altair in Arabic means "the wounded." Altair is a pale-yellow star located on the neck of the Eagle. According to Ptolemy, its influence is similar to that of Mars and Jupiter: fearlessness, reliability, bravery, liberality, ambition, but also rigidity. The wounded eagle also points to Christ, and in principle, to the God of the Bible. Furthermore, the eagle is sometimes identified with the creator or originator. The idea of the eagle also indicates far-sightedness and the ability to foresee the ultimate results and outcomes of an endeavor or event. This is a very useful ability in entrepreneurship and any undertaking and is certainly related to the idea of this card. Moreover, the eagle is associated with the representation of a ruler’s funeral, so if the Two of Disks signifies an assassination, then the Three of Disks is its funeral. In the negative sense of its mythological content, this card could represent a torturer, as it was this eagle that was assigned to peck at Prometheus' liver every day while he was chained to a rock.
According to Ptolemy, the influence of the Eagle is mixed, being of the nature of Mars and Jupiter: imagination, will, dominant character, influence, strong passions, sharp mind, clairvoyance, and talent for (al)chemistry. According to Oswald Wirth, this constellation is associated with the Lovers arcana. If the previous card, in its negative sense, represents the movement of rolling blind forces, the Three of Disks expresses the suffering and destruction these forces cause in the next step.
