What are your experiences with Dream Catchers?

[Jaychaos]

What are your experiences with Dream Catchers?

There’s some talk about “Authentic Dream Catchers” made by Native Americans… Are these energetically stronger and more effective?

 

[Vandheer]

What the hell is a dream catcher?

 

[silencewaits]

No need for quotations. Authentic dreamcatchers are only made by First Nation peoples. They come from the Anishinaabe originally. Supposedly, they work like spider webs and have origins in Anishinaabe traditions related to a Spider Woman figure. Unless you buy them from a native artist or are gifted one, it is just as effective to buy a protection charm and hang it above your bed. Non-authentic dreamcatchers are either made as novelties or outside of their original cultural matrix.

 

[Jaychaos]

I should’ve put it in bold letters instead of quotations…

I forgot to ask, does it have any other shamanic functions or capabilities besides just warding bad dreams?

 

[PinealisGlandia]

I should’ve put it in bold letters instead of quotations…

I forgot to ask, does it have any other shamanic functions or capabilities besides just warding bad dreams?

It doesn't ward bad dreams. It catches them. You're supposed to occasionally take them outside and shake them so the bad dreams fall out and return to the wind. Otherwise they're like a clogged vacuum filter and stop working over time.

 

[Sabbatius]

The Dreamcatcher, a.k.a. Asa'bike'shiin which just means spider, comes from the legend of the Spider Woman Ash'bika'ash(sp?-My Anishnaabe is horrible, btw, but I still try) who protected the children of the tribes. She would weave a web to catch violent manitou who sought to harm children as well as vicious dreams that would torment children.

The origins of the Dreamcatcher come from the Ojibwa, Ottawa, Potawatomi and Menominee(another Ojibwa clan but remain separate). The most common Dreamcatcher design that is "authentic" is the teardrop shape but eventually the hoop design came into practice due to the onslaught of "Plastic Shamans" and "Cultural Profiteering." Other tribes adopted the Dreamcatcher but as stated above, is predominantly Anish'naabemowin.

To be honest, the Cultural Appropriation aspect of the Dreamcatcher does not bother me at all- it's the "actually made by a First Nation/Native American" part that I find more insulting. I could make some clay salt and pepper shakers and sell them for a chunk of cash because they were made by an "authentic First Nation person." It is ridiculous.

 

[PinealisGlandia]

To be honest, the Cultural Appropriation aspect of the Dreamcatcher does not bother me at all- it's the "actually made by a First Nation/Native American" part that I find more insulting. I could make some clay salt and pepper shakers and sell them for a chunk of cash because they were made by an "authentic First Nation person." It is ridiculous.

That part read rough to me too. What's next, you need a tribal ID to learn the medicine wheel?

 

[silencewaits]

To be honest, the Cultural Appropriation aspect of the Dreamcatcher does not bother me at all- it's the "actually made by a First Nation/Native American" part that I find more insulting. I could make some clay salt and pepper shakers and sell them for a chunk of cash because they were made by an "authentic First Nation person." It is ridiculous.

Yeah, I definitely could've worded that better. Apologies.

 

[Sabbatius]

Yeah, I definitely could've worded that better. Apologies.

No issues at all. I was speaking in generalities and not anyone specific. Plastic Shaman bother me more than any other group, themselves being the ones who utilize authenticity as a selling and marketing point.

 

[Konsciencia]

I have a Dream catcher. It is beautiful.

 

[Dyn Hysbys]

I read, somewhere, about a more western chaos approach to these (I'm afraid I can't remember the author). A 'nightmare catcher' using a web of wires, threads, bound objects, hooks, even a target's name/photo if you want to direct your nightmares somewhere else. I haven't tried it, but I see the theory.