Our parents tell us that Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny exist, and so they exist. We don’t have to see them to know that somehow, magically, there will be a quarter under our pillow where a tooth once was. Then, as we grow up, we lose some of that magic.
It’s like in the movie the Santa Clause, when Dr. Neil asks Charlie how he knows Santa is real. Charlie says, “Have you ever seen a million dollars? …Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
Of course, when we grow up we learn that Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny were all Mom and Dad, but the power of our dreams is one belief that survives. Now you can embrace that power with dream catcher belly bling.
Native American in origin, dream catchers have been around for generations. Many believe the Ojibway tribe was the first to create them, but there are also Chippewa and Lakota legends. No matter the tribe, the meaning behind each element of the dream catcher is the same.
The webbing inside of dream catchers is designed to trap evil spirits and bad dreams and let the good ones through. In the night, it’s thought that spirits float freely. Good spirits are able to pass through the hole in the middle, and then trickle down into the feathers. Bad spirits, however, get caught in the webbing. As the sun comes up and hits the dream catcher, the bad spirits are destroyed by the light. They evaporate, never to trouble you.
The hoop itself symbolizes harmony and strength. The bead brings you blessings from one of the seven directions (directions depend on the color):
- Blue: Father Sky
- White: Ancestors’ knowledge of people
- Green: Mother Earth
- Purple: the inner self – the Creator
- Red: our Ancestors’ knowledge of the land
- Yellow: our Ancestors’ wisdom
- Black: a road with two directions – one is abuse, the other healing
Dream catcher belly rings range from simple to ornate, some being decorated with wolf charms to bring out your inner animal spirit.
So how about it, are you a believer?