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“Henna is the description of the plant” explains Maria O’Connor while “Mehndi is the Hindi word for applying the henna.” O’Connor is a local Mehndi artist, who creates and applies beautiful henna designs at various events. Most recently O’Connor was at Bentley’s very own Carnivale beautifying students with designs of all kinds, including myself with a vine-like hand design. “I’ve been doing it for eight years.” O’Connor says and has done so at a myriad of events ranging from “graduation parties, bachelorette parties, sacred healing ceremonies, street fairs, Renaissance fairs, and in Salem [Massachusetts] for Halloween.” Her experiences at these events have put her in touch with many individuals and introduced her to people from all over the country and the world.
For those who are not familiar with henna, it’s essentially temporary designs stained on the hand with natural plants, herbs, and oils. The designs are widely varied and can be big or small, and placed virtually anywhere on the body. The henna paste goes on as a dark brownish-black, usually resulting in a red-brown stain when dried and removed. The design can last between 1-3 weeks depending on the paste, the skin, and how well it is moisturized. Henna is good for any occasion, and is has cultural significance for many.
O’Connor has “always been interested in herbs, with their usage in cosmetics, medicines, healing, and adornment for the body.” She has a “degree in Biology from Framingham State” and became interested in what could be called the Neo-tribal movement in the 1990′s. She relays how henna became a “trendy thing” and could be seen on celebrities such as “Madonna, Hally Berry, and Gwen Stefani”. O’Connor started “messing around with little kits”, like those you can find in CVS. She realized early on that this henna “was not very good, and of bad quality”. She went online, to the library, and began collecting ingredients, honing her skills with henna and the art of its application.
“I applied it to myself, to my friends” she says, and learned that there is “no limit to what you can do with it”; continually showing that it’s gratifying and rewarding “to beautify somebody”. O’Connor further explains that she commonly works with “natural, red-brown henna” which is made from “paste from ground henna leaves”, commonly grown in places such as “Spain, Saudi Arabia, and other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern areas.” She explains that the process involves “harvesting the leaves, and grinding them into powder.” “Different henna gives different colors, ranging from a black cheer to a deep mahogany.” Mixed with the powder, says O’Connor, is generally an essential oil base, things such as wine or lemon juice. How long the design lasts depends on many factors, such as “where you put it, how long you keep the paste on, how well moisturized you keep it, and how warm the area is kept.” All of these things are should be kept in mind once you have a henna design applied.
Henna allows for beautiful, semi-permanent body decoration. O’Connor warns that students should be aware of so-called “black henna” which is actually not natural henna. “Black henna is made to replicate black tribal tattooing with the permanency of traditional permanent tattoos” but contains hazardous ingredients that are extremely harmful. O’Connor is serious about warning people about the risks of the “unscrupulous” application of black henna, to “unsuspecting individuals”. “Henna is not a controlled substance by the FDA” and some artists add “nasty things to henna” which can “rot away skin, cause burns, and create allergic reactions to other black dyes.” This is a high price to pay for black henna. O’Connor wants to emphasize that black henna is NOT real henna, and that people should ask what is being applied to their skin. Any reliable and reputable artist will be happy to answer any questions you have and be open about what you are placing on your skin. O’Connor is one such artist, who takes people’s safety as a top priority.
O’Connor also emphasizes the “metaphysical exchange” that takes place with henna. That it truly is a giving process between two people. The designs can be “Moroccan, with geometric designs” or “Arabic, with bold, flowing flowers”. She tells me that the designs “depend on the culture; each has its own symbols” and that having henna applied “is a blessing.” henna is often applied before weddings, “to wish good blessings”. “Pop-culture has gotten infused in it” furthers O’Connor, “Guys want Macho stuff, like Celtic designs and crosses.” “Girls tend towards vines, Celtic knots, around their belly buttons or on their lower backs.”
“Give it [henna] a little love and it will be good to you” says O’Connor. It’s clear that this is something she is extremely passionate about. She is proud to be a part of what is considered a healing art. Recently she has become involved in the belly-dancing community. Henna is a perfect fit with belly dancing, because “it provides extra decoration for the hands and feet which are central in belly dancing”. As her latest passion, she contributes to the “honoring of the culture and pass on the legacy of the dance inherently beautiful.” O’Connor finishes by saying “don’t feel like a poser if you’re getting it [henna]” that “anyone can wear it and enjoy it”. A person can “honor their own ancestry”, its “nice to be able to give something to yourself.” O’Connor is a true artist, who selflessly shares her knowledge and talents by helping to beautify and adorn others. Henna truly is for all occasions, whether it be a wedding, graduation, or just for yourself. More about Maria O’Connor can be seen on her website www.ancientfirehenna.com.
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