Dreams are powerful! Especially the ones that whisk you away as you sleep. Dream can travel you to fantastic realms of adventure, or unlock terrible imaginings from your subconscious.
When dreams become tiresome or scary that is where a Dream Catcher can come to aid. There is something so powerfully evocative about a tool that literally catches dreams in a web.
The first Dream Catchers were created to resemble a spiderweb and hung over children's cribs as a protective charm. It is valuable to know and honor the lineage of the Dream Catcher, which is found in the rich history of several Native American Tribes.
"In Chippewa mythology, Spider Woman, who was called Asibikaashi, cared for the people of the land, but especially the children. It was Asibikaashi’s job to teach them the stories of their people, and to keep them safe, but as the population grew and spread, it became harder and harder for her to keep a watchful eye upon everyone. In Spider Woman’s honor, the grandmothers began making webs of their own, made of sinew and plant fibers, wrapped around tear-shaped hoops fashioned from the pliable willow branches that were so abundant." -Patti Wigington
Unlike ceremonial objects, which should not be appropriated, the Dream Catcher was adopted across many nations as a tool of spirit, and then popularized in the 70's and 80's as a symbol of unity and protection. Setting similar intentions we can create our own for personal use.
Preparing for the Craft
For the next few nights write down your dreams.
Leave a pen and paper by your bed so that you can capture any images as soon as you wake up.
Make note of which parts of your dreams are sweet and which parts are not.
Use this awareness to set intentions for your Dream Catcher.
Gathering Materials
The hope for these craft-a-longs is that you can begin creating without the need to order supplies or go to the store, since most of us are settled in at home. If you don't have a specific material I encourage you to think outside the box and see what else might be available to you.
A hoop of willow, wire, cardboard, or whatever else you can find. Even a embroidery hoop would work. The larger the ring the longer the craft will take.
String, yarn, or ribbon. If you do not have string you can make ribbon from an old t-shirt.
Scissors
Optional - Beads and Feathers and other decorative touches.
No account is necessary to follow along, although if you want to participate in the chat or ask questions you will need to create a Twitch account. It's easy and Free.
Support the Craft-a-Long
All of my craft-a-longs are shared freely on Twitch. However if you are nourished by the weekly offering consider supporting them by joining my growing Patreon Community and receive a packet of handmade Joy Charms.
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Your support makes my stream possible! I hope to continue providing weekly craft-a-longs to everyone regardless of income.
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