Did you know...? that in some Native American and First Nations cultures, a dreamcatcher is a protective amulet that is used to protect people from nightmares and bad dreams. It may also be decorated with sacred items such as certain feathers or beads. The dreamcatcher is a handmade willow hoop, on which is woven a net or web. Traditionally, dreamcatchers are hung over a crib or bed as protection.
It originates in Anishinaabe culture as "the spider web charm". 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.
Native American cultures believe that both good and bad dreams fill the air at night. The dreamcatcher acts like a spider's web by trapping the bad dreams or visions while allowing the good ones to filter through. The bad dreams caught in the web get destroyed when the sunlight of morning hits the dreamcatcher, while the good dreams filter down through the feathers and gently reach the sleeping person below.
Every part of the dreamcatcher has a specific meaning. The 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. Some dreamcatchers contain beads in between the webs, an amulet right in the middle or a combination. These Amulet and/or bead are thought to contain the prayers and well wishes of the person giving the dreamcatcher. 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 quantity of points, the dreamcatcher represents 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 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. In addition, it is associated with the New Age movement, and became popular as a spiritual symbol.
Today, many people despite their believes, appreciate the beauty and symbolism of protection that a dreamcatcher brings. Dreamcatchers are commonly use not only as protection charms (its original functionality); yet as a home décor and even jewelry. Personally, I believe that anyone who receives a dreamcatcher is blessed for having someone caring about them so much to actively wish they are protected all the time, even when they are asleep. At the end of the day, any protection against the evil, the bad vibes no matter your believes, is a great thing to have.
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