Dream Catchers in Your Home:The Positive Aura

I distinctly remember the day when I first heard this word – Dream catcher. I was a kid who was fascinated by the sound of it without even looking at it, or so much so knowing its meaning. It got me intrigued, and I was lucky to have a friend who explained it to me what it was by gifting me one. I still hang it over the side of my bed where I sleep.

Let me not just explain what they are, but how you can make one on your own!

So what are dream catchers?

Part of the native American folklore, dream catchers protect a sleeping person from bad dreams. It acts like a filter which lets the positive dreams come through. Traditionally, the hoop symbolized unity and strength. In the darkness of the night one doesn’t get to see what lurks. The good and the bad co-exist and its the night that makes us not see it clearly. American Indians believed that dream catchers helped us differentiate and allow the good to come, while the bad was trapped in the feathers of the dream catcher and defeated by the first rays of the sun.

Sounds romantic doesn’t it? That’s what I thought. But looking at it over my bed, I also wonder how beautifully it hangs. The delicate feathers and the intricate web-the filter, all make for  a lovely sight. It makes me want to believe the folklore and here I sleep with happy thoughts in my head.

So does it really hold significance in the modern world?

I say yes! We live in a world that is drowning in cynicism and trying to hold on to hope. Everything that drives us to be positive, pleases us. We may have made innumerable resolutions, mostly to stay healthy, but how many of us have made some for our thoughts, our home? A dream catcher does just that.

Traditional dream catchers may be extremely simple looking but the modern ones are beautiful and decorated. They not only have the traditional elements, but also have fancier additions. A dream catcher now comes in varied sizes and styles, and hangs beautifully in any kind of home. Be it elegant, bohemian or sophisticated. While they are easily available online or in stores, you can also make your very own dream catcher. Adding the trinkets of your choice and choosing your favorite color.

Here is an easy step by step tutorial:

So what’s the story behind them?

The traditional story behind it is quite interesting. Legend has it, that long ago, an old spiritual leader from the Lakota tribe had a vision. In his vision, he saw Iktomi, known to be a great trickster. He spoke to him in the sacred language and was disguised as a spider. The native Americans used to consider the willow hoop (a hoop that has feathers, horse hair, beads and other offerings) as extremely sacred.  Iktomi picked up the hoop and began to spin a web around it & spoke about the cycles of life. From being an infant to a child and growing up to be an adult. When we grow old, we must be taken care as infants, thus completing the cycle of life.

At every stage, we encounter good or bad. Listening to the good steers you in the right path. He finished weaving the web and continued that the web will help people listen to only the good and make them reach their goals. It was upon the old leader to pass on these words of wisdom by Iktomi to the future generations.

You don’t have to believe in this. But then you don’t have to believe in Vaastu or Feng Shui either. Why do you believe? Because believing in good makes it all the more easier for us to reach there, carve the right path and keep walking.

For the good home vibe, contact interior decorators from UrbanClap to help you out with decorating your home, the best way possible!