Dream Catcher
Plains Indians tell us to hang them by the widow, or at the head of your bed, where the bad dreams get caught in the web. Good dreams work their way through the center hole, rest on the feather like a dew drop, and evaporate to the Great Spirit in the morning sun. The prayer beads on the Dream Catcher trap all the bad dreams that are left on the web, then burn them up.

As the legend goes, the Dream Catcher was used by the Woodland Indians and was hung in the lodge (near the bedroom window). Its use was to catch all dreams, good or bad. The bad dreams would get caught up in the webbing and are held there till first morning light, then burned off. Now, the good dreams were caught, and knowing their way to the hole in the center, would filter down into the feathers and be held there, only to return another night to be dreamed.

Fetish - sacred lore and the North American animal fetish.
In ancient times, North American Indians used animal fetishes to help control or understand the forces of nature and the environment. Through the spirit force of the fetich, the owner could overcome problems encountered. While the uses were many, fetishes were generally used to bring luck or success.

Kokopelli
In many places in the world, primitive people used to carve images on rocks. These are called Petroglyphs. The Kokopelli, the mystical flute player, is the most well known petroglyph in the American Southwest. The early carvings date as early as 200 A.D. to as late the 16th century. The name Kokopelli is believed to be derived from the Zuni and Hopi names for god (koko). Since the Kokopelli Petroglyph is seen in so many locations throughout the Southwest, there are numerous legends surrounding this mythical character. He is known as a harbinger of fertility and a god of the harvest, as well as the bearer of good luck. Today the Kokopelli charms children and adults alike with the fantasy of his magical flute playing.

Flute-playing Kokopelli
In all the petroglyphs in the rocky Southwest, only one commonly-seen figure has a widely known name and identity: KOKOPELLI. His legends are shared by many tribes and pueblos, and he is many things to them - comic trickster, god of fertility, bringer of rain, itinerant traveler, seductive musician. He seems to represent life lived with passionate and joyful enthusiasm. His head-dressed, hunch-backed flute playing figure is popular even today with visitors to the Southwest.

To the people of San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico, Kokopilli was a wandering minstrel carrying a sack full of songs, who traded their old songs for new ones. Bent over his flute, footloose and fancy-free, he brought his gift of fertility to the people and their crops at harvest time.

Wedding Vase
Believed to have originated in South America, the wedding vase has been a part of Pueblo life for centuries. The graceful spouts represent two separate lives. The bridge at the top part of the vessel unites these together as one.
The future husband's parents provide the wedding vase in Indian ceremonies. This happens two weeks before marriage and is a very festive time. Gifts and advice are given to the bride and groom as they prepare to establish their new home together.
On their wedding day, this vase is filled with Indian holy water, which has been blessed by a Shaman or Priest,  and given to the bride. She drinks from one side of the vessel while the groom partakes from the opposite side. This ceremony is equivalent to the exchanging of wedding bands.
The couple will cherish their wedding vase throughout their married life.

Circle of Friends
The Indian legend says that at the end of the evening, friends would gather around a bonfire and share their hearts and speak of the good qualities of each other and remember times shared. As the embers faded, their frienship was said to be sealed anew, bringing them closer together.

As you sit with the candle lit in the middle of your circle of friends, it wil surround and embrace all who sit with you and bring good luck to those who stay together.