Dream Catchers FAQ
What is a Dream Catcher(DC) ?
It is a legendary Indian charm with a beautiful look that can be used as a decoration or a charm .
What about its Origin ?
a- There was a time in Anishnabe history when the people were being tormented by nightmares, The elders and “medicine people” all tried to solve this problem on their own, but not a one made progress against the dreams, so a council or all the people was called, During this council one elder had a vision of a spider’s web in a hoop with a feather and bead attached that would catch the bad dreams while letting good dreams pass through, The elders went to work fashioning dream catchers in the manner prescribed by the vision and when the people started using them, the bad dreams went away.
b-Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans were all located in one general area of that place known as Turtle Island,Spider Woman was kept busy weaving little dream catchers on the tops of cradle boards to ensure the babies a peaceful slumber. Bad dreams stuck into the spider web-like weaving,unable to go any further, while the good dreams find their way through the openings to the visions of the dreamer. With the first rays of sunlight, the bad dreams would perish. When the Ojibwe Nation dispersed to fill a prophecy, spider woman had a difficult time making her journey to all those cradle boards, so the mothers, sisters, & grandmothers took up the practice of weaving the magical webs for the babies using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants. In honor of their origin, the number of points where the web connected to the hoop numbered 7 for the Seven Prophecies or 8 for Spider Woman’s eight legs.
What is the structure of the Dream Catcher ?
a hoop of red willow with a webbing of animal sinue which takes the form of a web (like a spider’s web), Attached at the bottom of the loop are a bead (usually seed or carved wood) and a feather .
They must be made with all natural materials - the hoop should be made with willow, preferably red willow. The web should have at least seven points for the seven grandfathers, and may have other numbers with various meanings - 13 for the moons, 28 for the lunar month .
Also, the traditional Dream Catchers are only 3 to 5 inches across. Webs that are 2 to 6 feet are beyond the scope of tradition.
What is the Application & Purpose of the Dream Catcher ?
The dream catcher is hung above a sleeping area in a place where the morning light can hit it. The nature of the Dream Catcher will attract all sorts of dreams to its webs,When bad dreams come, they do not know the way through the web and get caught in the webbing where the first light of day causes them to melt away and perish,The good dreams knowing the way go through the center of the web and slide down the feather to the sleeper below.
Also the web catches bad/unimportant dreams and allows the good/important dreams to come through the middle and slide down the feather into the sleeper’s head, Bad dreams are malicious in intent, or simply unimportant fleeting images. Bad dreams may be very disturbing, but still have a very important message for the dreamer, so that the dream catcher doesn’t necessarily get rid of bad dreams in the sense of nightmares, but bad dreams in the sense of distracting dreams that have no significance or meaning to the dreamer.Also they’re always hung on cradleboards.
My Personal Explanation for the Dream Catcher Phenomenon :
In some way the Stitches made by the spider web seems to attract the Positive Energy(As I think as the Pressure increases the time decreases and so Frequency increases producing High vibrations that attract Positive energy) in the place it’s hanged while the Negative energy is attracted to the rest of the web (Due to the presence of Positive energy making a difference), So the Negative energy is imprisoned in the web till the sun light(Great amount of Positive energy) eats all the negative energy and banishes it for good , So anyway whats left is Positive energy which induces Good dreams or Dreams that aren’t likeable but was induced by the higher self for a certain lesson to be learned .
Is the Dream Catcher related to Lucid Dreaming ?
Yes Indeed, The Dream Catcher is said to bring visions & wild lucid dreams .
Will the Dream Catcher work for me?Is something wrong with me as it ain’t working?I bought a Dream Catcher and it doesn’t work,Why ?
In order to make the Dream Catcher work well,And not just another beautiful decoration the following must be put in mind :
1-The DC must have the traditional structure .
2-You must believe in it or just like APing it wouldn’t work .
3-The DC made must be made right not just anything will do(Making it look bad may even make the Sleeper have more nightmares )
4-Doing the DC by yourself makes it easier to work but still you can buy it .
5-You must hang the DC above the bed in a place in which the sun rays will pass through it for the Negative energy to perish .
I want to buy a Dream Catcher,So what do you recommend ?
Well, After looking into a lot of sites , I found a site that crafts DCs by custom , So you can get beautiful DCs for decoration Or a Traditional DC to do the real job it’s designed for although that sometimes they work . It’s Called “Silver Wolf Enterprises” .
How To Make A Dream Catcher ?
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Using 2 - 6 ft. of soaked willow (or grapevine), carefully bend the vine around to form a circle with a 3 - 8 inches diameter. You decide on the diameter, but traditionally dreamcatchers are no wider than adult’s hand.
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Twist the piece you are bending, around the circle you have made to strengthen the vine hoop.
3. Use 4-16 ft. of strong but thin string (the length is determined by the diameter of the hoop).
Knot a loop in one end from which you will hang your dream catcher when it is done.
- Tie the hanging loop around the top of your dream catcher (or at the weakest point of your hoop).
- The dream catcher repeats the same stitch from start to finish. To start, hold the string and place it loosely over the top of the hoop. Move the string around to the back of the hoop (forming a hole) and pull the string back through the hole you just made.
- Pull each stitch taught but not too tight or it will warp the hoop of the dream catcher and it will not lie flat when it is done.
7. Continue the same stitch for the first round around the hoop of the dream catcher. Space the stitches evenly, about 1 1/2 to 2 in. apart (making 7 to 13 stitches around the hoop).
- The last stitch of the first round should be placed about a half inch away from the the hanging loop.
STITCH FOR THE SECOND ROUND:
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On the second and subsequent stitching rounds, place the string around the center of each stitch from the previous round (rather than around the hoop).
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As you pull each stitch tight, the string from the previous round should bend towards the center of the hoop slightly, forming a diamond shape. You should see the spider web beginning to form.
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On the third or fourth round add a bead to represent the spider in the web. Simply place the bead on your string and continue stitching as usual.
12. Continue stitching towards the center of the hoop. Eventually, the stitches become so small that it is difficult to pass the string through. Make sure you leave a hole in the center of the dreamcatcher.
- Stop stitching at the bottom of the hole in the center of the dream catcher. End by stitching twice in the same place, forming a knot, and pull tight.
- You should have 6 - 8 in. of string to tie 2 or 3 feathers which dangle from the center of the dreamcatcher.
Tie on 2 or 3 feathers and knot.
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Wrap a 1 in. square of felt around the knot of string and over the base of the feathers. Tie two 4 In. pieces string around the wrapped felt.
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Hang over sleeping place. Sweet Dreams!!
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