Meaning of dreamcatchers

Their origin goes back to a North American tribe, the Ojibwa, and since then they have become truly special pieces.

Legend has it that a beautiful spider woman named Asibikaashi watched over the dreams of the children of the Ojibwa people. At nightfall, the spider woman would enter the children’s rooms and begin to weave a fine and delicate web over them, which could catch any bad dream, any nightmare and make it disappear.

As the Ojibwa tribe grew larger and larger, Asibikaashi found it very difficult to reach all the children of the tribe, so the grandmothers and mothers, in an effort to protect their children, began to weave strips around a willow hoop and hang it in the children’s rooms. The dreamcatchers, made with the love of the parents, began to have a magic of their own and therefore became amulets and instruments of power for the shamans.

Whatever theories or versions of dreamcatchers we find in history, the underlying symbolism and purpose remain the same. Dreamcatchers have a protective purpose. They direct good dreams and divert bad dreams away from the person.

There are various patterns and designs made into dreamcatchers and they all have different meanings. Dreamcatchers also come in different colours, all with different meanings.

Traditional dream catchers were made with eight points where the net is attached to the hoop. These eight points are considered the eight legs of a spider. The spider symbolises learning, wisdom and energy.

Dreamcatchers have a number of common characteristics by which they can be easily recognised:

• The composition is based on a circle symbolising the sun and its daily cycle.

• The obligatory elements of any catcher are bird feathers, which signify breath and lightness.

What variety is possible in the traditional form of the amulet? Today, there are three types of design that are the most popular, depending on the origin of this magical object:

Native American amulet dreamcatcher.
A circle-shaped object filled with intertwined threads. Such a “net” catches good dreams, which descend to the sleeping person on the feathers and make his sleep peaceful and pleasant, but at the same time delays bad dreams. The evil spirits that carry bad dreams remain interwoven and disappear in the rays of the dawn sun.

The magical tool of the Siberian shamans.
This dreamcatcher is designed to attract any vision, no matter if they are pleasant dreams or nightmares. All of them are important for the shaman. With the help of such an amulet, he sees in a dream the images of trapped spirits. Confronting negative forces allows the shaman to penetrate into the depths of his own consciousness. Such amulets can be dangerous for inexperienced followers of such rituals.

Asian amulet.
The strength of such an object lies in the symbolic components of which it is made. Often, Asian dream catcher amulets contain figures of animals or zodiac constellations.

Nowadays magic has joined the decorative element giving birth to dreamcatchers of all colours, shapes and sizes. They have become one of the icons of the boho style merging with the ethnicity of the ancestral culture.
They look perfect in our homes and patios. It is used by artists in murals, accessories and tattoos. Some of them are true works of art.
Dreamcatchers have become part of the culture of many people and magical amulets that protect us.

When choosing the right dreamcatcher, its colour combination, which is also symbolic, is of great importance.

Here is a list of primary colours and their effect on humans:

• White coloured dreamcatcher symbolises purity, healing. It gives a person upliftment, bright energy and release from ailments.

• The black dreamcatcher symbolises infinity and the feminine energy of life. It gives a person endurance, mental steadfastness, strength to complete what has been started.

• The red dreamcatcher symbolises will and mighty power. It gives energy to a person, stimulates creativity.

• The pink dreamcatcher symbolises the energy of love. It gives vitality to the person, relieves stress, helps to understand oneself.

• Orange dreamcatcher gives a person harmony, balances masculine and feminine principles, gives strength to resist negative manifestations.

• The yellow dreamcatcher symbolises the spiritual beginning. It gives a person physical and mental health, spiritual strength and exacerbates mental perception.

• The green dreamcatcher symbolises endless life. It gives an objective view of the world, the power to implement plans.

• Sky blue dreamcatcher symbolises truth. It gives a person the ability to predict the future, a positive perception of reality, makes the consciousness shine.

• Blue dreamcatcher gives a person the harmony of life and purifies the spirit, activates logic.

• Violet dreamcatcher symbolises the soul. It inspires man, gives strength to humility, accepts reality.

In the modern era, some Native American cultures used dreamcatchers as a symbol of unity throughout the Pan-Indian Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Dreamcatchers later became known as ‘native craft items’ and became popular souvenirs.

People all over the world consider dreamcatchers as beautiful and interesting objects. New Age groups produce different types of dreamcatchers, made of various materials in different styles, which are very popular in today’s market.

Dreamcatcher images and jewellery are quite common and have become a fashion trend.

However, these dreamcatchers are a far cry from traditional dreamcatchers, as they are often quite large and made of plastics and other artificial materials. Whereas traditional dreamcatchers are often quite small and are made of wood, leather, rope and real feathers.

Dreamcatchers have become instruments to trap bad energies, bad thoughts during sleep and with the arrival of sunlight they disappear.

The most authentic ones are handmade.