So there are 5 major parts that represent what a dream catcher is and what its meaning really represents. I'll breakdown all the five parts of the dream catcher, so you will get a better understanding of what a dream catcher is so the next time if you want to select one or if someone asks you about it, well you know the answer.
The first thing to note is that the dream catchers may originate with the indigenous people. However today they are seen all over the world and might be claimed to have been originated from other parts of the world. Different tribes and different cultures might have different meanings of what the dream catcher represents and that's okay too. The meaning of the dream catcher we're talking about today is the indigenous people of Canada specifically known as the Anishnaabe teachings of the dream catcher.
So now the first identifier of a dream catcher is that of course they are round. They are usually made with a wood hoop or some sort of pliable material. Now authentic dream catchers, that were made by our ancestors were made of red willow and like a lot of things in the Anishnaabe culture, the circle represents the circle of life and that is very very important to Anishnaabe people because, circles are the center of everything as the circle of life is deeply ingrained in all of the teachings and all of the stories. It signifies that there is no real end or beginning, life is continuously going around in a circle.
The second component of a dream catcher is that they have a web. Now this web can be made with either a net or thread. Sometimes you see dream catchers made with colorful strings and that's where the artist is expressing their artistic ability. Now the web is used to catch the bad dreams from coming through when the person is sleeping but at the same time to allow the good dreams to come through.
Now the third identifier or significance of a dream catcher is that they have stones or gems weaved into the web. Now these are to represent the spiders that have created the web. The teaching behind this is that the nightmares get caught up in the spider's web and she the spider is the web weaver. Now you will see various dream catchers made by different artists that might have more stylishly designed gems or stones on them or more natural plain looking gems and its just a matter of preference the designer wants their dream catcher to have. And one isn't better than the other, its just how the designer wants their dream catcher to look and feel.
The fourth part of the dream catcher is that you'll notice that most dream catchers have feathers hanging from the circle. It's said that these feathers that are hanging from the circle can allow the good dreams to be caught in the spider's web and have a passage through the feathers to the person below it.
Now the fifth fun fact is that they are beautiful creations that come in many different styles, sizes and designs and that they're primarily designed to ward off nightmares. The nightmares that are caught up in the web are said to be burned up bu the morning light but as we know the good dreams are let through the web down the feathers to the undisturbed sleeping person.
So that's the core significance of the dream catcher, the meaning behind it and all of the five main components. Also they are not just meant to be hanging on your windows to protect you from nightmares, they are also a huge symbol of the indigenous culture .
No comments:
Post a Comment