Celtic Dream Catcher
Gold Tree of Life Wall Art Tree of Life Dream Catcher Contemporary Steel Home Decor Celtic Family Tree 10 x 24 inches (25.4 x 61 cms) NowIsNowUSA From shop NowIsNowUSA. Dream catchers are one of the most fascinating traditions of Native Americans. The traditional dream catcher was intended to protect the sleeping individual from negative dreams, while letting positive dreams through.
Ancient cultures often give us a unique perspective on life. For example, the Native American traditions are rich with stories of how the people were connected with nature and the world around them. Often these connections are to unseen forces that shape a person’s destiny. To tap into these forces, people created devices which would interact with the natural energy. Dreamcatchers are one such tool that have also become popular with many people in the world today.
History and Lore of Dreamcatchers
The Native Americans viewed dreams as energy that surrounds individuals as they sleep. The energy produces visions in the person and are typically referred to as “good dreams” or “bad dreams”. Should these dreams affect a person, the result can have a positive or negative impact on their life.
Two North American tribes, the Ojibwe (previously known as the Chippewa) and Lakota, constructed dreamcatchers to prevent the bad dreams from affecting the person while capturing the good dreams and channeling that energy into the person’s life. These devices were often made by the women elders in the tribe to control the energy that surrounded the children as they slept.
Dreamcatchers were made of natural materials and were meant to disintegrate back to nature as a young child became an adult. A round or oval hoop was made by bending a stick of willow into the desired shape. Sinew was then tied to seven or eight points on the hoop and stretched across the circle in a pattern that resembled a spider’s web with a hole in the center. Feathers were tied onto the hoop so they hung down below it. Shells and stones would be used to decorate the dreamcatcher.
The Ojibwe and Lakota had different legends regarding the dreamcatcher, but both focused on the channeling of dreams for the benefit of the child.
The Ojibwe Legend of Asibikaashi (Spider Woman)
Asibikaashi was responsible for placing the sun into the sky each morning. The sun sent it’s energy to the many people across the land. However, as the tribes grew and spread around the world, it became more difficult for Asibikaashi to get the energy to all of her people. She enlisted the aid of tribal grandmothers, mothers and sisters to weave magical hoops that caught and held onto the energy of dreams. Bad dreams were caught and held by the web of the dreamcatcher while good dreams escaped through the center hole and to the owner.
The Lakota Legend of Iktomi (the Great Teacher)
A tribal leader climbed on top of a mountain where he had a vision from Iktomi, who appeared to him as a spider. Iktomi told the elder about the cycle of human life and how people can make choices that impact their life and the world around them. The spider wove a web around a circle of willow to show the cycles of life that a person goes through from birth to death. At the end of the vision, Iktomi gave the elder the hoop and explained how it can be used to catch and hold bad dreams, preventing them from tormenting the person. It allowed the good dreams to escape through the hole in the center so they could be sent to influence the owner’s life.
While these legends are different, they both emphasize using the dreamcatcher to intercept dream energy and allow only the good dreams to impact a person.
How Dreamcatchers Are Used Now
Dreamcatchers were adopted in the early 1920s by people throughout North and South America. Many people used them as decoration for the home while others were more interested in the spiritual use of the device. This was also a time when people became more interested in the psychology of dreams. The study of dreams and how they affected a person was a favorite pastime for some people. The dreamcatcher became a natural tool for those wanting to control their dreams.
Like the early Native Americans, many people see the dreamcatcher as a way to capture negative energy and prevent it from affecting them. These tools are no longer found exclusively in sleeping areas but can be seen hanging throughout people’s homes, in their work places and even dangling from the rear view mirror of their car.
Some people believe that dreams are a glimpse into other worlds and use the dreamcatcher as a way to consciously enter those domains. One use of the dreamcatcher to do this is through a guided meditation:
1. Sit quietly in a favorite place to meditate.
2. Picture a dreamcatcher floating in front of you.
3. Place your consciousness on the rim of the hoop and walk it slowly around the circle.
4. Each attachment point of the string on the hoop represents a connection to another reality. Stop at the point of a connection that you would like to further investigate.
5. Now follow the string from that point to the center of the circle.
6. Allow yourself to pass through the hole in the center of the dreamcatcher and enter the other reality.
Some people find that they can enhance their lucid dreaming by practicing this simple meditation.
Another way to use the dreamcatcher is to let it catch energy that may cause a person stress. Hanging above a work or study desk, this tool can filter the energy surrounding a person and reduce their stress. Some people travel with their favorite dreamcatcher so they can hang it in their hotel room for its cleansing affect.
As a token of good wishes, the dreamcatcher is often given as a gift to new mothers and their babies, newly married couples, and to christen a new home. Wherever a person experiences energy, good and bad, a dreamcatcher may be used to control the influence of that energy.
How to Purchase or Construct a Dreamcatcher
When shopping for a dreamcatcher, one will find them at a variety of prices and styles. It’s important to look at several to find just the right one for the desired use. All dreamcatchers will have three common elements: the hoop, the web and something hanging from the bottom of the rim, usually feathers. Some people believe that the feathers help to channel the good energy into people sleeping under the dreamcatcher.
While you’ll find dreamcatchers constructed from a number of man-made materials, try to find one made from as many natural materials as possible. This will emphasize your connection with the natural world around you. Look for rims made from natural wood formed to create a circle. The web should be made from leather sinew, cotton or woven silk fibers. Decorations on the rim and web can be stones, crystals, shells, clay or other natural materials. A variety of different feathers can be used to hang from the bottom of the rim to complete the dreamcatcher.
For the ultimate personalization, try making your own dreamcatcher. Your own energy will go into it making it a truly powerful creation to help you navigate your dreams. Collect the following materials to begin your project:
– A stick of willow or grapevine two feet long.
– A piece of cotton string or sinew four feet long.
– Three feathers.
– Crystals, stones or other objects with which to decorate your dreamcatcher.
When making your dreamcatcher, first smudge the area with sage or incense and ask the good spirits around you to help guide you through the creation.
1. Soak the stick in water for one hour to make it easy to bend.
2. Carefully bend the stick into a circle, overlapping the ends so you can tie them together.
3. Tie one end of the string to the rim.
4. Measure from this point around the rim to mark eight points on the rim an equal distance from each other.
5. Stretch the string to the first point and wrap it twice over the rim so the string hangs inside of the circle.
6. Continue to the next and subsequent points until you reach the first, then tie the string onto the rim and cut the string. You should now see that your string forms an octagon inside of the circle.
7. Tie the loose end of the piece of string to the center of one of the eight sides created by the first piece of string.
8. Pull the string slightly to the next piece of string and loop it twice over the center of that piece of string.
9. Continue until you reach back to where you started and secure the string with a small knot.
10. If needed, adjust the string you just added so it is centered on the first piece of string.
11. Now tie the string to the center of the sides you created with the second piece of string and continue to where you started and tie the string off.
12. As you continue this, the “spider web” takes shape and the hole in the center of the circle gets smaller. Add string until the hole is the size that you prefer.
13. When the web and hole are just as you want them, tie string around the base of the feathers and attach them to the bottom of your dreamcatcher.
14. Tie a piece of string to the top of the hoop for hanging.
15. Depending on the types of decoration you chose for your dreamcatcher, you can incorporate them into the string as you create the web or glue them on when you are finished.
16. Once you have moved the string around to center your web you can place a small dot of glue where you have wrapped the strings to secure them.
Don’t be concerned if your hoop is more of an oval or is crooked. Don’t worry about the web looking perfectly symmetrical. The more natural your dreamcatcher looks, the more it will feel like your own connection to nature and your dreams.
In BriefWhen people shop for souvenir dreamcatchers, they usually rely on color, design, and size preference. However, dreamcatchers are more than just a beautiful object to hang in your home. They hold great significance to the Native Americans and are viewed by some as protective amulets.
The design of the dreamcatcher, its number of points made from tied-together strings or sinews, represent different histories and various strokes of luck. Let’s take a look at what a dreamcatcher does and what it symbolizes.
History Of ‘Catching’ Dreams
Dreamcatchers are regarded as good luck charms everywhere in the world, and are thought to literally catch nightmares, only letting positive dreams enter the subconscious mind of a sleeping person.
The tradition of hanging up webbed dreamcatchers originated from Native Americans. It’s difficult to find a reservation in the U.S. or in Canada that doesn’t have dreamcatchers all around, but different tribes have different accounts of the lucky dreamcatcher’s legend.
- Ojibway Spider Woman Legend
According to the Ojibway, a spider woman named Asibikaashi wanted to continue caring for the children of the tribe despite the gentrification of America. She told the older women of the tribe that she couldn’t possibly watch over every bed each night.
To help Asibikaashi, the women of the tribe wove magic webs to symbolize the spider woman and her protection. Just as she trapped insects and bad omens in her sticky web, the dreamcatcher webs trap negative dreams and thoughts overnight, which are thought to perish when the sun finally shines upon the dreamcatcher every morning.
- Lakota Dream Legend
Meanwhile, the Lakota believed that one of their old, spiritual leaders had a dream where the great teacher Iktomi appeared as a spider. In this curious vision, Iktomi took some willow and began spinning a web as he discussed the cycle of life – from infancy to old age.
According to the seance, he showed the spiritual leader how the web was a perfect circle, but with a hole in the center. Iktomi allegedly told him that good ideas will be caught in the web, while the bad ones will slide right through the hole in the middle.
Dreamcatchers staged a major comeback in the reclamation movement of the 1960s and early 1970s, as a symbol of renewed pride for Native Americans despite the continent changing by the minute. It’s also associated with the New Age movement, and became popular as a spiritual symbol.
back to menu ↑Meaning and Symbolism of Dreamcatchers
Despite the stark difference between the legends of the dreamcatcher’s origin, the central idea behind the use of dreamcatchers as a lucky charm is consistent: it wards off negativity and retains the positive to achieve peace of mind.
The dreamcatcher also represents unconditional love, as it is usually made and given by someone who deeply cares about another. Even in Game of Thrones, Lady Catelyn Stark wove her own version of the lucky dreamcatcher to hang over the sickbed of her youngest child, Bran Stark.
Over the course of history, dreamcatchers have always been a symbol of someone caring enough to pray and wish for your protection. Even though dreamcatchers have become commercialized and many don’t know its significance, Native Americans have worked hard to preserve what it really means in their culture.
Every part of a traditional dreamcatcher contains meaning.
- Round frame – symbolizes the never-ending flow of life, since a circle doesn’t have a beginning or an end. It also signifies Mother Earth and everything in it that sustains life
- The web – represents the spider’s web that filters the bad and lets the good right through.
- Amulet/bead – certain types of dreamcatchers contain beads in between the webs or an amulet right in the middle. These are thought to contain the prayers and well wishes of the person giving the dreamcatcher
As mentioned earlier, even the number of points created by the interlocking of strings or sinews in dreamcatchers are said to hold special meaning:
- 5 points – the lucky star
- 6 points – represents an eagle, which in turn symbolizes courage
- 7 points – the grandfathers’ seven prophecies
- 8 points – represents the number of legs in the spider legends
- 13 points – the phases of the moon, which is also considered a symbol of protectionism and safety in the dark night
Regardless of the number of points in dreamcatchers, though, they are said to symbolize the following values:
- Good energy – Native Americans believed the air contains both good and bad energy, and dreamcatchers can act as some sort of ‘filter’ to boost the good energy and hamper the bad.
- Protection from harm – As discussed earlier, all the legends agree that dreamcatchers provide protection to the person whose bed it is hung over.
- Mother Earth’s good graces – Native Americans have an incredible affinity with nature, so owning a dreamcatcher is thought to put you on the good side of the Earth, especially with one that directly came from the hands of a Native.
Dreamcatchers in Jewelry and Fashion
Because of its fascinating history and magnificent symbolism, dreamcatchers have made their way not just into homes, but even to people’s jewelry and fashion. Dreamcatchers make meaningful gifts, especially if the receiver understands the significance of the symbol.
Necklaces with dreamcatcher pendants are a staple in most souvenir shops in the U.S. and the rest of the world, and so are dreamcatcher earrings. Some are made from precious metal like silver or even stainless steel, while others are more traditional, using actual threads and amulets. These tend to have a bohemian, rustic look and are ideal if you want to dress down.
Editor's Top PicksBohemian dresses and shirts also incorporate the design and symbolism of dreamcatchers. Aside from the lucky symbolism, dreamcatchers make wonderful patterned designs that are fashionable to wear, even for those who don’t believe in its symbolism.
back to menu ↑Some Frequently Asked Questions About Dreamcatchers
How do you make a dreamcatcher?
If you’re somewhat artsy, making your own dreamcatcher is a nice way to create a symbolic and meaningful object that’s also highly decorative. This video is a step-by-step guide on how to make a dreamcatcher. Turns out it’s much easier than it looks.
Are dreamcatchers good luck?
For some people, dreamcatchers represent good luck and are believed to ward of bad energy, replacing it with good energy.
Where do you hang a dreamcatcher?
Because these objects are meant to protect you from bad dreams, it makes sense to hang them near your bed. Some people hang dreamcatchers in their car and workspaces. However, if you’re not superstitious and you simply want the dreamcatcher as a beautiful, decorative motif, you can hang it wherever you prefer.
Is it bad to throw away a dreamcatcher?
For the superstitious, throwing away a dreamcatcher will bring bad luck and release the bad dreams that have been caught in the dreamcatcher. They believe its best to dispose of the dreamcatcher in a respectful way.
Can a dreamcatcher become full of bad dreams?
Some believe that a dreamcatcher can become full of bad dreams to the point that it will become clogged and stop protecting the sleeper. Again, if you’re not superstitious, this won’t be an issue. If you are, you might want to clear the dreamcatcher of the bad dreams.
back to menu ↑In Brief
Dream Catchers For Sale
Native American legends have consistently depicted dreamcatchers as a symbol of good, positive energy. To this day, elders are known to weave their young ones a dreamcatcher or two to protect them from bad dreams and negative energies in the air while they sleep.
Celtic Dream Catcher
Needless to say, anyone who receives a dreamcatcher is considered lucky for having someone care about them so much to actively hope they are protected all the time, even when they’re asleep.