The Spiritual Meaning Of Dreamcatcher

What is the spiritual meaning of dreamcatcher?

Introduction

Dream catchers aren’t just pretty adornments to add to your home or bedroom.

Yes, they’re often found in interior stores and do add a touch of decor to a room, but they hold a lot of meaning beyond simply the aesthetic.

According to Native Americans, the dream catcher is said to catch bad dreams or visions that are encountered at night, trapping them and being destroyed when the sunlight touches them in the morning.

Good dreams or visions are also said to be caught in the dreamcatcher but are said to trail down the feathers that come from the bottom of the dream catcher and flow back into the person who is sleeping underneath.

More generally, they can be seen and used as a symbol to ward off evil spirits, and this is what they are often used for in today’s world.

It is said that hanging one above your bed will protect you through the night from any evil that could be lurking.

Other theories say that by hanging a dreamcatcher above your bed, you are actually welcoming in more good dreams to your slumber.

How was the dreamcatcher created?

One of the most commonly recorded explanations of the dream catcher’s creation comes from the story of the Ojibwe tribe, whose spiritual protector created the circular talismans as a way of protecting her growing following when she was no longer able to do so single-handedly.

This tribe believed spiders to be protectors, and their leader was called the ‘spider woman,’ so the dream catcher, which strongly resembles a spider’s web, was intentionally created in this design as an ode to their leader and as a powerful symbol of protection.

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What does the design of the dreamcatcher mean?

There is much symbolism in the appearance of the dreamcatcher, and the decorations and design of the catchers are far from random.

Firstly, the number of pointed ends in the crochet detailing signifies a lot within numerology.

If your dream catcher has five points, this is representative of a star, six points represent an eagle, seven represents the seven prophecies that come from key spiritual teachings in Northern America, eight points represent spiders, or the spider woman (the leader of the aforementioned Ojibwe tribe) who is sacred in Native American culture and thirteen points refer to the Moon cycles per year (some say there are 12 moon cycles, but in particular Native American folklore, and in actual fact there are 13, as the moon cycles are 28 days, and most months have at least 30 days, there are more moon cycles than the 12 months of the year).

The crochet web that is created is also an ode to the Ojibwe tribe leader, as she was known as the ‘Spider woman,’ as well as being a representation of an actual spider’s web.

We’ve discussed the symbolism of the spider’s web here, and the concept is much the same – a web to catch bad omens and dreams so that they may be destroyed.

Many dream catchers also feature beads, often just a single bead that is representative of the spider in the web – you can see there is plentiful symbolism of the spider, and as the spider represents creativity and strength, the dreamcatcher could, of course, be a symbol of the same.

The feathers that are often found on dream catchers also contain meaning and are a representation of the heavens above us, creating a connection between the earthly and the celestial.

As well as warding off nightmares and encouraging good dreams, dreamcatchers are also viewed as a totem that welcomes general good energy into your home whilst neutralizing the bad, so whether or not you’re sleeping, these pretty hangings can be helping to protect you and your home.

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Dreamcatchers and Appropriation

There is some controversy surrounding dream catchers, though, mainly to do with their authenticity.

They are a piece created and intended for use by certain cultures, and many people see the popularity of them in other cultures to be inappropriate or leading to a watering down of their special energy and meaning.

Members of the Ojibwe tribe have cited that it is cultural appropriation for those not a part of the tribe to have these in their home, as many people do not know the origins or significance of the piece.

Partly, this is due to the methods used to make the dreamcatchers that, in true traditional ways, would be a careful and slow process involving ceremonial-like attention to each and every component that is used.

Because of the rich history and precious meaning that dreamcatchers have for those in tribes and cultures that have used them for hundreds and thousands of years, the process of making them is just as important as the finished product.

Each material is blessed, and thanks are given to the spirit within each of them, creating a piece of true spiritual meaning.

Unfortunately, when these are then created en masse by large warehouses and distributed to dollar stores and supermarkets, they can certainly lose their meaning and any real power that they hold.

So, the next time you walk past a pair of dreamcatcher earrings or a dreamcatcher necklace, as pretty as they may be, just know that these aren’t traditionally how they should be appreciated, and to have these versions in your life won’t offer the sort of spiritual symbolism you might hope for.

As can be seen, there is a lot of interesting history with the dreamcatcher.

The diversity and intrigue created by objects from all over the globe is what makes our lives here so rich and full of interest.

The dreamcatcher is representative of a desire to create a calm and peaceful space in one’s home, and this can be achieved in many ways, but if you do look to buy one, make sure to do your research and support traditional crafts when doing so.

ImageS source:

https://pixabay.com/photos/dream-catcher-culture-indian-dream-902508/
https://pixabay.com/photos/dream-catcher-dreamcatcher-feather-4065288/

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