But if you make one out of plastic and neon and hang a bunch of shitty fake crystals on it and sell it in your Etsy shop as a REAL WICCAN DREAM CATCHER NATIVE CRAFT, it’s possible that some of us will judge the shit out of you. It’s also super important not to cheapen it – in other words, if you want to create one to hang in your home because it calls to you spiritually, that’s great. But it’s really important to consider the WHY of the creation. I learned how to make them myself, and it’s a fascinating and meditative process. Can you create a dream catcher of your own if you want to? Go for it, I’m certainly not going to drive to your house and scold you. Now, before you send me an angry email, or comment below with OMG UR SO DUMB DON’T TELL ME WUT TO DO, let me clarify this. In other words, if you’re not Native American, you are lacking the cultural and societal context in which something sacred like a dream catcher actually works. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with appreciating Native American spirituality, it’s completely a terrible idea to appropriate it.

They’re not even NeoPagan, if we use NeoPagan in the context of “modern Paganism based upon proto-Indo-European religious beliefs.” Want a dream catcher? Consider the cultural context. I love perusing Etsy and Pinterest and getting great ideas and seeing all the clever crafty things that other people are doing to celebrate their spirituality, I really do.

Sioux dream catchers