Friday, December 31, 2010

The Dream Catchers







The Legend of the Dream Catcher


"A spider was quietly spinning his web
in his own space.  It was beside the sleeping
space of Nokomis, the grandmother.

Each day, Nokomis watched the spider
at work, quietly spinning away.  One day as
she was watching him, her grandson came
in.  "Nokomis-iya!" he shouted, glancing at
the spider. He stomped over to the spider,
 picked up a shoe and went to hit it.

"No-keegwa," the old lady whispered, "don't hurt him."

"Nokomis, why do you protect
the spider?" asked the little boy.
  The old lady smiled, but did not answer.

When the boy left, the spider went
to the old woman and thanked her
 for saving his life.  He said to her,
 "For many days you have watched
me spin and weave my web.  You have
admired my work.  In return for saving
my life, I will give you a gift."

He smiled his special spider smile and
moved away, spinning as he went.  Soon
the moon glistened on a magical silvery
web moving gently in the window.
  "See how I spin?" he said.  "See
and learn, for each web will snare
bad dreams.  Only good dreams will
go through the small hole.  This is my gift
to you.  Use it so that only good dreams
will be remembered.  The bad dreams will
become hopelessly entangled in the web."







 Beyond - A lullaby

Sleep well sweet child
Don't worry your head
Your Dream Catcher is humming
Above your bed

Listen so softly
I know you can hear
The tone of beyond
Close to your ear

Love is alive
And living in you
Beyond all your troubles
Where good dreams are true






Dreamcatchers:  are an authentic American
 Indian tradition, 

from the Ojibay(Chippewa) tribe. The people would tie 

sinew strands 

in a web around a small round or tear-shaped 

frame - in a somewhat similar pattern to how they
 tied webbing for Ojibway snowshoes--and 
hang this "dream-catcher" as a charm to protect 
sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that 
the bad dreams will get caught in the web.
The Dreamcatcher allegedly helps us remember 

our dreams. It is regarded by some as a serious tool 
that is much more than a decorative ornament.



 The opening in the center determines the volume
that you are asking to receive and parallels the changes
 that will occur in your life.

Hang the dreamcatcher near the place where you sleep, 
on the wall, or perhaps from a lampshade or bedpost. 

During my recent trip to the US, I came across 
 the Dream Catcher, and my son told me the 
story behind the Dream Catcher, and I was really
fascinated by it, and I bought one. I also read 
about it in the internet, and  I also found some 
interesting videos about the philosophy of the
 native  American, and found, that it is no different
 from our own philosophy: it reinforces the universal belief
that we are all one.
Although we all know about the Native Americans,
still it feels good to go back
and refresh ourselves with their history, their struggles,
and their determination
to keep their identity intact. It shows us we may lose
everything, but nobody can
take our spirit.



Happy New Year !!

29 comments:

  1. Nice story, Rama, and well told! I have a dream catcher above my bed and it must work. I only remember the good ones! Happy New Year to you and your family!

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  2. happy new year!

    I nevr seem to remember my dreams good or bad:)

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  3. Intresting story, Thanks for sharing and Happy New year to you and your family!!!!!

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  4. Very nice story. I hadn't heard this one before. I must acquire one because I still seem to remember my nightmares very clearly. Wish you a very happy new year.

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  5. Renu, it doe snot matter whether we remember a dream or not. We may not remember anything, but our subconscious mind remembers everything, to protect ourselves from doing or thinking the way our s.c. minds reacts to these dreams, is the purpose of the Dream Catchers. Even if we have had bad dreams,those dreams would be caught in the web of the dream catcher, and only the good dreams would flow freely through the hole in the center.

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  6. Happy New Year!!!
    I wish all the bests to You and Your family!!!
    Be Happy with Your family!!!

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  7. Now I can not blogging in a-b-c-flowers.blogspot.com
    You can stop following the a-b-c-flowers.blogspot.com

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  8. caucasusgeography.blogspot.com
    Please find me in this blog......

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  9. ...love the new template, Rama, and the Dreamcatcher's story as well.

    Happy New Year:)
    EL

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  10. Wonderful story, I think dream catchers are truly beautiful. Although I have heard they are meant to catch our dreams I have never heard the story. Thanks for sharing.

    Have a wonderful New Year!

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  11. Rama, yes, I too was fascinated with the story of Dream catchers and got myself one at the Grand Canyon. I promptly hung it over my head and pre cognitive early morning dreams have added a lot of interest to my life!
    Happy new year to you too, I am glad that you appreciate my friendship, I share the same sentiments!

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  12. Happy New Year! May your dreams come true and your creative spirit soar.

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  13. Padmaja, for me too, this dream catcher, has done a lot of good from the time I hung it near my bed. I get the dream I intend for myself.

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  14. The photos about Caspian Sea are mine.
    Thank You very much for beautiful words about my country!

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  15. nice story Rama,never knew about this thanks for sharing
    happy new year to you
    I am in mumbai this new year celebrating it with family and friends

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  16. Hi Rama
    first of all the best wishes for u and ur family
    its been ages i was here on Blogger.
    I was very busy fundraising.In few months we will go back to Sri Lanka
    The spider story is very interesting.
    and abt the native red indians.Its respect Rama
    for Nature and everything in it.
    I put ur link on my fav.now
    so i will be back.
    tc
    MJ

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  17. Thank You very much for following my blog----------caucasusgeography...

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  18. Hello Rama,

    Your header photo is fascinating.Lovely.

    Your poems and thoughts are the stuff in which dreams are made of.

    As I child I used to dream a lot but I hardly dream now.I don't know why? May it is because I have nothing to dream of.I just sleep like a log.Occasionally when I don't get sleep, I twist and turn in my bed waiting for the morning to come but somehow I catch up for the lost sleep.

    My best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful new year filled with health,happiness,peace,success and prosperity.
    Joseph

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  19. yes header photo is grr8.. and r, Wishing the best of 2011 for u n yr near ones too..cheers friend

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  20. Very nice story and a good post. Happy New Year to you too.

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  21. wow! I love this story sooo fascinating!!! I think I should get myself a dream cather!!! your blogs are soooo lovely

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  22. A great metaphoric story for the beginning of the new year!

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  23. thx for the encouraging comments and following my blog... its really create enthusiasm for young blogger like us to write more!!

    thx a lot!

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  24. I have a dream-catcher too, from Canada, and I knew the story. Informative post for those who didn't know the story behind.!

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