Dream catchers are powerful instruments of shamanic medicine whose origin is in the American Indian tribes. It is made up of three parts: The circle or ring represents the wheel of life and is traditionally designed with willow wood. The mesh or net symbolizes the dreams, desires and illusions that we weave in the time of dreams, in the soul and in the movement that we originate with our daily activities. In the center of this network is the void where the creative spirit is, the “Great Mystery”.
Tradition affirms that this type of element is of great help to preserve good ideas and pleasant dreams and to protect those who own it. The time of dreams is influenced by good and bad energies, in such a way that the latter are trapped by the mesh and dissipated through the central hole with the first rays of the sun of the day.
Meaning of the word dream catcher
- The word “atrapasueños” comes from the English word “dreamcatcher”, hence the Spanish translation. However, in the language of the Ojibwa, from whom this amulet comes, it is called “asabikeshiinh” which means spider. However, it is also known by the name of “bawaajige nagwaagan” or dream trap.
- These amulets began to be sold by the Ojibwa in the 1960s, being harshly criticized by the rest of the tribes who claimed that their wonderful original meaning was being desecrated. This claim, in a way, makes sense since today they are manufactured and sold without paying attention to the magical and spiritual energization process, thus losing their essence and becoming a simple ornament.
- Because of this, the belief in dream catchers has spread immensely in recent years. However, surely you do not know the beautiful legend behind the dream catcher. We tell you what the legend of the dreamcatcher consists of, look!
The legend of the dream catchers
- The legend of the dream catchers tells that there was an old woman named Asibikaashi who took care of all the people on Earth. This “spider” woman watched over every creature in our world, leaning over the cribs and children’s beds while she wove a fine, delicate and strong web that was capable of trapping all evil between her threads and making it disappear at dawn.
- When her people scattered across North America, it became very difficult for her to care for all the children, so mothers and grandmothers had to learn to weave nets with these magical properties that trap bad dreams and nightmares, protecting this way to their children and grandchildren.
- To build the dream catchers, the Ojibwa tied willow strands around a 9-centimeter teardrop-shaped circular ring, made at the same time from red-dyed nettle fiber. The end result was a web similar to a spider web.
- The ancient legend of the Ojibwa Indian dream catchers tells that dreams slide through the net filtering those that are good through their soft feathers until they reach us. On the other hand, bad dreams get trapped in the fabric and die with the first ray of sunlight of the day.
- However, for the Lakota people of the Sioux tribe of North America, dream catchers work differently. For them, nightmares pass through the net while dreams get caught in the threads and slide down the feathers to the person who is sleeping.
- There are some people who prefer to give dream catchers a different meaning. There are those who understand dreams as aspirations, desires or longings and, therefore, consider that dream catchers are used to achieve everything they set out to do or desire.
How to use a dream catcher
- As with any amulet, the dream catcher must be personalized in order to filter out all kinds of individual negativity. The most important custom when it comes to personalizing the dream catcher consists of cutting one of the threads that make up the network, thus interrupting the passage of nightmares so that they never come true. Feathers, according to the indigenous people, eliminate negative sensations. This makes them use it together with smoke to perform their spiritual healing.
- Dream catchers must be taken care of very well to avoid deterioration. Harmful energy cleansing depends on it, which can harm us at different levels.
How to activate the dream catcher
The dream catcher must be recharged with positive energy through the following procedure:
First thing in the morning, at the moment when the first beam of light appears, we must take the dream catcher, take it to the height of the heart facing the sun, close our eyes and think about the happiest moments of our lives. The amulet will trap this positive energy which will remain in it for several years. It is recommended to repeat this procedure twice a year.
Where to place the dream catcher
- Dream catchers should be hung on the ceiling of the room, near the head of the bed.
- Contact with any object or wall that may impede their freedom of movement should be avoided.
- You also have to make sure that the sun enters through the window and illuminates the dream catcher well. This is essential to keep it in optimal condition.
- In the event that time has worn the materials of the dream catcher and there are loose threads or discolored feathers, a new one must be purchased. The old must be burned and thrown away. It is a magical element that helps us rest as it absorbs the negativities in the environment, driving away evil spirits and bringing creative solutions to those who own it.