Catching A Dream
"Shadow of a Dream" by D. Edward Kucera What are Dreamcatchers? In the past few years dreamcatchers have become a phenomena. We see them everywhere; beautiful hoops, laced with threads or thongs to resemble a spider's web and decorated with small beads, tokens or feathers, but what do they mean? Almost every tribe has its own version of this legend but they all share the basic principles. The Native American Indians have many traditions and beliefs ad dreams have always been very meaningful to them. The Great Spirit, knowing his people were vulnerable while sleeping, provided them with a means of safeguarding themselves from the evils that might visit in their dreams.
The Lakota Dreamcatcher Legend Long ago when the world was young, an old Lakota spiritual leader was on a high mountain and had a vision. In his vision, Iktomi, the great trickster and teacher of wisdom, appeared in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to him in a scared language that only the spiritual leaders of the Lakota could understand. As he spoke Iktomi, the spider, took the elders willow hoop which had feathers, horse hairs, beads and offerings on it and began to spin a web. He spoke to the elder about the cycles of life; how we begin our lives as infants and we move on to childhood, and then to adulthood. Finally, we go to old age where we must be taken care of as infants, completing the cycle. Iktomi said, "In each time of life there are many forces and different directions that can help or interfere with the harmony of nature, and also with the Great Spirit and all of his wonderful teachings." Iktomi gave the web to the Lakota elder and said, "See, the web is a perfect circle but there is a hole in the center of the circle. If you believe in the Great Spirit, the web will catch your good dreams and ideas, and the bad ones will go through the hole. Use the web to help yourself and your people to reach your goals and make good use of your people's ideas, dreams and visions." The Lakota elder passed on his vision to his people and now the Lakota's use the dreamcatcher as the web of their life. It is hung above their beds or in their home to sift their dreams and visions. The good of their dreams is captured in the web of life and carried with them, but the evil in their dreams escapes through the center hole, and are no longer part of them.
The Ojibway Dreamcatcher Story The Ojibway tradition was to hang a dreamcatcher in their homes and lodges. They believe the night air is filled with dreams both good and bad. The dreamcatcher, when hung, moves freely about in the night air and catches dreams as they float by. The good dreams, being smart and knowing their way, easily slip through the opening in the center, absorbing the protection and power from the stone near the opening, and gently slide down the feather onto the dreamer, so gently that often the person doesn't even know they are dreaming. The bad dreams, not being smart are misguided already, become entangled in the web and burn away with the dew at the first light of the new day. Small dreamcatchers were hung on the infant cradle boards. Larger dreamcatchers were hung in homes and lodges for all to have good dreams. If you are interested in making your own dreamcatcher, I have just the place for you. The materials are easily obtained and the instructions clear and simple.
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