Dream Catcher Meaning: History and Spiritual Meaning

October 29, 2019

Dream catchers have become widely popular, we have seen these peculiar items in many places such as windows, souvenir shops, some neighbor’s porch and more. I’ve found myself with no clue of what gift to give, and believe me, Dream catchers are not only a good present, but for people who believe in its magic, it could mean a lot. They could also be an ideal gift for some important for you.

And at some point, we might wonder why are they so special? Why are they so popular around the world? What is the purpose of having one of them? what is the spiritual meaning? But don’t worry, in this post, we will give you the answers. Now we invite you to read it. Enjoy.

What Is a Dream Catcher?

First things first, dream catchers are all around the world no matter the culture. It is handmade, made from a wooden hoop, usually willow, onto which a web is delicately woven, other sacred items such as beads or feathers can be used too. Modern dream catchers variate in their forms and dimensions, but the authentic ones are very similar in their sizes.

They can be considered just as design items you can hang anywhere at home and it would look stylish, and it’s true! But these beautiful dream catchers also have a beautiful meaning and interesting history.

The History Behind The Dream Catcher

Most people relate the origin of dream catchers with the Native American Culture, and this is correct. The Ojibwe is the Native American tribe where the dream catcher began, this item was called “asabikeshiinh” which means “spider”.Through the ages, many other tribes have adopted the dream catcher into their cultures.

According to the legend, a “Spider-woman” described as mystical and maternal was the spiritual guardian for the Ojibwe tribe, she took care of the people, especially kids and small babies. At some point, the tribe started growing and spreading geographically around North America, and taking care of all the adults and babies was becoming a hard task for the Spider Women, so the grandmothers, mothers and any female from the tribe started weaving magical webs to protect the newborn in name of the Spider Woman.

Uses, Purposes, and Meaning of the Dream Catcher

The Ojibwe tribe considered the dream catcher as a symbol of protection, they used to hang them above beds so it could catch bad dreams allowing only good thoughts while sleeping, and with the rise of the sun, all bad dreams disappeared.

Its uses are mainly focused on protection, as a talisman this mystic item will protect you from nightmares while you’re sleeping. They were also used as a map when people were about to start a new journey because they would weave the route in the willow hoop, bringing good luck during the trip.

As said before, the dream catchers started spreading and other cultures adopted it, for example, the Lakota tribe, they have another meaning for the dream catcher, a different legend and the purpose of this item variates a little, for this tribe the dream catcher is not only an item for protecting you from bad dreams but, to protect you from daily bad energies in your life, according to the tribe it will help you reach your goals, catching the good ideas, dreams, and vision.

Top 3 reasons to have a dream catcher

Here we’ll give some ideas on why you should have your own dream catcher!

Ideal gift: The dream catcher has an interesting history, and giving a gift with such a beautiful meaning makes it more special. For numerous indigenous cultures, it’s considered as a symbol of oneness and giving this to your significant other will bring good luck to your relationship.
Stylish decor item: They’re not only special but will look great anywhere at home. The dream catcher with its bohemian style will transform any corner of your home, even if it is recommended to place it close to where you sleep having it in your living room will be good to protect that area from the bad energy of visitors.
Brings good luck and prosperity: As a talisman, it will also protect your home if it is an authentic dream catcher.

Spiritual Meaning of The Dream Catcher Design

These sacred hoops have many designs and today many people make their own just by watching a tutorial. But the authentic dream catcher has certain features that make it so special. This cryptic design has its meaning and we will decode the secret, every feather has its meaning and tiny details can surprise you.

First thing is, why do you think the dream catcher’s shape is a circle? Even this simple thing has its meaning, it could have been a triangle shape or any other, but they chose the circle because it symbolizes Mother Earth and represents the circle of life and the way both the sun and the moon are part of our lives, at night the dream catcher takes all the bad dreams protecting us from them and in the day it disposes of them.

Some cultures believe the beads in the dream catcher represents the spider, but many others say they are the physical form of the good dreams that couldn’t pass through the web and turned into sacred charms.

Now, what can a feather mean in a dream catcher? Why not another feature? the meaning behind adding a feather is that they act like ladders, that's how only good dreams descend on the person who is sleeping, this makes a good reason to place your dream catcher upon your bed. Usually, natural feathers are used and more likely from birds like hawks.

The traditional dream catcher had eight points in which the web was connected to the hoop? any ideas of why did they choose to do this? eight points? Maybe the eight legs of the spiders? Yes! The spider woman was considered as a wisdom and energy guide and having it in such a precious talisman was ideal.

But we might have seen not only 8 but 13 points connected to the hoop, or even less than that, and here we will give you the answer of what they represent.

When you see a 13 point dream catcher it represents the phases of the moon, a 7 points dream catcher is for the seven prophecies of the grandfathers from the tribe, when a dream catcher has 6 points is representing the eagle which is well known for its courage, the star is symbolized in a 5 point dream catcher, and the 4 points dream catchers symbolize the four sacred directions.

Conclusion

Dream catchers have an interesting history, also a meaningful legend and there is no reason not to have an authentic one.

Nowadays even people who don’t believe in talismans have one at home, dream catchers turn into a great decor item and also protects spaces from negative energies.

The meaning of giving a dream catcher as a gift shows your most sincere thoughts and emotions to this person, so you can consider giving one to this special friend or family member.

Today you can find dream catchers in different styles and sizes and they are not necessarily authentic but you might still find a handmade dream catcher made with natural materials.

Even if the eight-point dream catcher is the most common, you can see many variations like the 4 points dream catchers or more. It’s surprising the spiritual meaning of every feature this mystic item has.

Feel the change! get your own authentic dream catcher and keep yourself protected from bad dreams.