Dream catchers… these lovely, beautiful, and eye-catching frames are very popular as a home decor item. Many people use it in their cars as it is considered lucky and protective. 

The dream catcher finds its origin in the Native American tribes. It is used as an armor to protect people, especially babies, from nightmares. People of these tribes believe that at night the air is filled with both good and bad dreams during the night. The dreamcatcher traps the bad dreams in its web (just like a spider's web) and filters through the good ones which trickle down the feathers. The trapped dreams are destroyed by the sunrays in the morning. The dreamcatcher is also believed to be a protective armour against any evil influence and not just bad dreams. 

The circular frame of the dreamcatcher represents Mother Earth and also the continuous flow of life; no beginning, no end. Some believe it to be the circle of life. The 'web' of the dreamcatcher is inspired by the spider's web. Some cultures say that the beads represent the spider while some say that they are lucky charms. A dreamcatcher that has 13 points represents the 13 phases of the moon. The one with 8 points represents the spider woman in the Native American legends. The 7 pointer refers to the seven prophesies. The one with 6 points represents an eagle, and 5 points symbolize a star. Many dream catchers have a cross in the center which symbolises the four sacred directions; these are known as the medicine wheel dream catchers.

The traditional dream catchers are usually quite small and made with wood, leather, string and real feathers whereas the modern ones are quite big and made of artificial materials but still can be used for the same purposes. 

So go ahead and hang that beautiful, protective shield in your house or on top of your child's bed and sleep well through the night.