About Dreamcatchers
The first dreamcatchers (or dream catchers) were said to have been made from willow branches and other fibrous plant materials that were fashioned into hoops and woven much like a spider's web. Some say they were decorated with feathers, bones, stones or the like, others claim they remained simple and unadorned. Depends on who's telling the story.
Deamcatchers are known to have been used by the Crow, Cochiti, Cree, Laguna and Zuni Indians as well as the Huichol Indians of Mexico, just to name a few. Representations of similar webbed creations are depicted in ancient murals throughout Central America. The exact origins of the Dreamcatcher are unclear but general consensus is they were first made by the Ojibwe' Indians who tied them to the cradle boards of babies to protect, entertain and soothe the little ones, much as a crib mobile is used today. See the Dreamcatcher Legends pages for more information and Native American lore.
Personal beliefs aside, there is practical wisdom in the utilization of tangible items such as a dreamcatcher as a means by which to draw our attention to the very-real power each and every one of us posesses to create our own realities. Reminding us we need only to gather and purposefully direct our energy, accepting that we alone are responsible for the thoughts we choose to hold on to -be they good or be they bad- and that, my friend, is hugely-powerful notion when you really think about it!
Dr. Wayne Dyer says, "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change!" I wholeheartedly agree with that! We may have little to no control over circumstances and events in our lives but we are never, ever without the power and ability to decide what we will or will not focus our thoughts on. Renowned author Norman Vincent Peale believed enough in the philosophy that he devoted his entire life to sharing it through his writings as with "The Power of Positive Thinking" and in his many lectures. If you're still thinking of a dreamcatcher as nothing more than a cultural relic, talk to any parent about the effectiveness of the power of belief when it comes to dealing with the nightmares of a frightened child. Or think about the comfort in sending a visual reminder to someone going through a difficult time that someone cares about their hopes and dreams. After all, haven't the seeds of many of humanity's greatest accomplishments been sown in someone's dreams (waking or otherwise)?
Dreamcatcher Legends
Some Native American dreamcatcher legends tell us that bad dreams are captured in a dreamcatcher's web to be held and burned away with the dew at the first light of day allowing only good dreams to flow through the hole(s) in the webbing. Other legends have it the other way around. Mechanics aside, all the stories seem to agree that Dreamcatchers posses the power to attract and deliver messages of guidance, comfort and wisdom to a sleeping one provided the belief is there.