Reading for a Puppet

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 Aug 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Flavio	03 Aug 2004
Here is the situation... a friend of mine and her boyfriend have adopted a puppet as their pet his name is Aton, it started as a game but now has become a very serious item in their relationship, they both made the voice and gave the puppet a LOT of personality and believe it or not the puppet shines with its own light among the group of friends. When summer ends "Aton, will go to the school" so they asked me to do 1st day of school reading for their "son" with one or two cards, at first I thought is OK to do it because all the times Aton had made laugh, how valid would that reading be? I had no trouble doing readings for pets in the past, but this time is quite different. Thank you for your answers, hope this question don't sound too stupid :D

Cerulean	03 Aug 2004
I would treat Aton as a creative 'entity' shared by your friends. Just as I would a collective project such as a play or book being written---although this puppet embodiment seems to be a source of spontaneous fun and sharing. Do a three-card spread---past, present and future aspects on Aton's upcoming fall season. Hope your friends keep enjoying such creative play over time! Take care Cerulean Mari P.S. What I meant is treat it like a story character--Knighthawk's Tarot Reading book does a three card reading on storybook situations for characters. For instance, he would suggest a situation question of Marie Curie as a student considering going to Paris--would it be a good choice? Marie Curie was a real person, but her daughter wrote a biography or series of stories about her --which gave Knighthawk the idea of treating the situation of Marie Curie leaving Poland and going to Paris as an ideal situation for a three-card tarot reading. I hope that makes sense in terms of treating Aton as a character and doing a three card reading for him in the context of going to school this autumn.

Oni	03 Aug 2004
honestly i dont know what i would do! like what kind of puppet is it?

Eco74	04 Aug 2004
How about making it a "how will Atons going to school effect the family" rather than "how will Aton feel about it"? Make it a family reading instead of focused just on the puppet since it is the family that has given him life in the first place.

tao51	04 Aug 2004
This not that odd a situation. People adopt or have a child as an expression of their combined energies. They may have a pet for this purpose. Now, the inanimate object becomes alive through the combination of their energies. Is this that strange? People talk to pictures of loved ones as though they are real. I have a close friend who collects dolls. She and her husband send their newsletter as though it was written by one of the dolls. I suppose all this is strange to some people. Yet, I listen to 78 pictures tell me what I need to know to help others. Flavio, I would do the reading as a spread describing the combined energies of two people. I would try to visualize this puppet as a person needing to speak. I think the reading will flow better if you visualize a live person.--Tao

Little Baron	04 Aug 2004
I have been reading this thread with interest, and admittedly, I did have to read the first posting twice. I suppose it could be perceived as 'odd', but then, as I type, I have a 6' mannequin laid next to me on the bed. He has been laying on here for the last couple of years as there is little room for him anywhere else. I can appreciate that this is relatively strange; my parents don't even notice he is here, like I don't, most of the time. Having said that, it is quite fun to see people's faces when they walk in; most people jump, which I find quite amusing. I don't have a voice for him, but have been known to say a drunken 'hello' when I have got home after a few too many on a night out. Just told my mum what I was writing - she reaffirmed that having Jack around, in her opinion, is odd. Was just wondering though; is there any other reason why your friends adopted the puppet? Is there a desire for children? Do they have some already? Maybe there is a reading in that as well. Hope those questions are not too personal. I suppose it is a bit like the tarot in the sense that the 'voice' is coming from them but working through the mouth of the puppet. Interesting and very different kind of question. Cheers Flavio. Yaboot

Flavio	04 Aug 2004
Here are some answers to questions about Aton, thnak you for your comments so far: 1.- My friends are not yet married, their relationship is about 6 months old and Aton is 4 months old, he was born as their pet but has become an important part of their lives, is a creative expression of their relationship and a link between them, sometimes he acts as a mediator when they have an argument. Aton is a communication tool he can tell in a funny way anything he thinks, and makes a lot of questions as any kid would do. He has been given a background such as a birthday day, and a set of favorite foods, TV shows, etc, and now his story leads to the school next Autum. 2.- Aton is the size of a hand so you can move his head as saying "yes" and both arms like clapping or giving a hug.

Shalott	05 Aug 2004
I cannot keep quiet any longer. When I was 6, my mom gave me this tiny little stuffed bunny for Easter. Well, there is something special about this little bunny. He is now...23 years old and is still in excellent shape. From the moment he was placed in my hands, he really had a personality of his own. He's a lot like...Tom Servo from Mystery Science Theatre or Sophia from the Golden Girls....spunky. I wanted to develop children's books about him and he should really be a cartoon. As a kid, he filled the gap that a pet should probably have filled. Now I have "live action" pets, and he is relegated to being more of a stuffed animal. So maybe I can relate to this couple...although I have yet to find another human being who didn't think I should be in a straight jacket over this bunny. But, I suppose "inanimate" objects do have a life in a way, stuff does happen to them, could they be harmed by some kid with sticky hands or such? Maybe one way to look at it is this a precious thing for them, like something they want to protect, like if someone "normal" (this is from ME with the bunny) had a 10 karat diamond or such. In the meantime I think Aton should join P.E.T.S.A - People for the Ethical Treatment of Stuffed Animals.

Sillanza	05 Aug 2004
Flavio, I think your friends are geniuses! They found a loophole -- a way to test-drive being a family and having kids without the expense and 9 months of swollen ankles! Do they have trouble getting sitters when they want to go out, or do they just put him in a drawer? :D I agree with Eco, frame the reading on how Aton's upcoming changes will affect the family, or what the family may learn as a result of Aton's new experiences. Since, in this case, the puppet is a fluid metaphor for the "family," in other words, the relationship itself.

The Reading for a Puppet thread was originally posted on 03 Aug 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.