A little history lesson never hurt anyone! I always see people driving around with Dream Catchers on their rear view mirror, or wearing them as jewelry, but do they really know the true meaning behind them? Now, depending on which Native American tribe you most associate with, will determine the explanation of a Dream Catcher. In general, Dream Catchers are believed to catch a person’s bad dreams from reaching them at night.
Dream Catchers originate from the Ojibwe culture, which means “Spider Web Charm“. The Dream Catchers, or “Spider webs” as they called them, came from the Spider Woman, or “Dream Grandmother“. According to mythology, she was an important figure who would take care of the children and people of the land. Everyone would wear one of these “protective charms” in order to prevent any evil or harm from coming in contact with them. Later on, it was adopted by more tribes, in which it symbolized unity among different Indian groups, despite their differences or beliefs.
By the 1990’s, Dream Catchers became a “must have” item. Now a days, the authentic Dream Catcher has shifted in its looks, and hardly resembles the traditional Native American legacy. Authentic Dream Catchers must be made with authentic materials. They must have 7 points, resembling the 7 mythological grandfathers, and the 8 strands that are interwoven. Here, the importance of numerology is represented by the 8’s, 7’s, and interlocking circles. The number 8 represents that which is beyond nature and it’s perfection. It finds balance between the material and immaterial worlds. The number 7 now is the number of the “Seeker”, or “The Searcher of Truth”. This number is about death and rebirth. The Dream Catcher itself represents the “Circle of Life,” with no beginning and no end. So, according to the Native American beliefs and that of my own, death is a part of life and the spirit lives on.
The feather strands represent breath and air, which are essential or life. Feathers are also believed to help you slip into the dream world. Their flow allows you to drift into a new and peaceful dream. Of course, each feather has a different meaning and will only add to the already traditional one. Some may say that they don’t dream, others may say that they can’t seem to remember them, or if you’re like me, you dream every night and definitely keep a dream catcher around to catch those unwanted “pies in the sky”.
For my personal favorite Dream Catchers, log on to: https://www.amazon.com/AerWo-Catchers-Handmade-Dreamcaters-Decoration/dp/B079GJQZ6H/ref=sr_1_5?s=furniture&ie=UTF8&qid=1551202950&sr=1-5&keywords=Dream+Catchers
No Comments