I'm often asked what I wear in Afghanistan and what it's like to wear a veil. It's freedom. Freedom to have a bad hair day, freedom to arrange my chadar to conceal the curve of my breasts and backside, freedom to not be an expatriate for a little while. It means freedom to hide even on the street from the Afghan men's eyes which seem to strip me naked.
When I relax my shoulders and walk less purposefully, less confidently, my eyes downcast and covered by sunglasses, I pass for an Afghan woman. I hear the men whisper in Dari, "Is she a foreigner or local woman?" I chuckle but am silent. On the street, I'm also a free target....freely exposed to groping, sexual innuendos whispered to me as a man bicycles by, free to have stones thrown at me, freely seen as no one's wife, daughter, sister, mother, friend, or boss. I step inside my gate, and remove my chapan and chadar. Now I'm someone's boss, motherhood returns to me as little steps run to greet me, and I receive a kiss from my adoring husband. Now I'm free to his loving and gentle eyes which know and enjoy my curves, free to once again be under the protective umbrella of being a wife, mother, friend, colleague, boss, niece, sister, daughter, woman.
There's definitely a lot of room for me to improve my henna technique! I always got a "C" on my art projects in school. However, I'm happy to share my journey of becoming a better henna artist for a significant purpose!
Here's a sample of using Romans 6:23 from the design by Henna Stories to share the Good News from more of a shame and honor perspective.
Feel free to download these docs if you find them helpful to you.
Henna is a great tool to share the Gospel. Islamic women don't often need formal theological discussions. They need friendship, love, and to learn the difference Christ makes in our lives.
There's a henna website I've been watching for several years, and decided to share with a broader audience. I know what I wish I had available for me to learn, so I'm sharing my learning curve with you to try to improve my own henna art skills, and hopefully this will help you!
"Henna tattoo art is an ancient art form that is part of women's culture in African, Arabic, and Asian cultures. For hundreds of years, henna, a natural dye made from the leaves of a henna plant, has been in used as a temporary tattoo in India, Pakistan, across parts of South East Asia, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Henna accompanies engagements, weddings, births, religious events, festivals and everyday life. Henna is largely worn for cosmetic purposes. Henna is also thought to have medicinal uses and rumored to also be a sunscreen as well as a hair dye. Before weddings, women will often host a party where the bride’s hands and feet are decorated with intricate henna designs."
It takes practice to mix it to the correct consistency, roll it in cellophane or plastic paper into a henna cone with a very small opening, and than practice applying it in pretty designs on hands and feet. An entire story can be told through Henna art! Henna will fade after 1-4 weeks, depending upon how long it's been on the skin.
The goal is to learn to mix from scratch and make your own henna cone. Store-bought henna cones are fine, but you may prefer to cut them open and transfer to your own cellophane or pastry bag, as the cone tip is often not fine enough.
In the Middle East and across Asia and Africa, henna cones in your local grocery store, pharmacy, or local beauty supply or accessory store. (They are also available on Amazon). I would use caution however, as those from Amazon may be dried out and may not be good.
Alternatively, you can purchase the store-bought premade henna cones, then make your own henna cones out of cellophane paper from the florist. Strain the store-bought henna through a nylon sock into your homemade cone. This will likely be a much better henna cone.
Or - mix your own! One way to ensure having fresh henna is buying fresh henna powder and learn to mix your own. Henna, once mixed, can be kept in the freezer for a month.
Generally, I have avoided purchasing black henna, as it often has a substance called PPD and is allergenic and adds to the toxic chemical load on the body. However, I saw some gorgeous henna design that has made me rethink this for arts' sake. A mix of black and brown henna in a design can be stunning. There are pics online where sparkle has been added which is pretty too.
- Henna that has a very high natural dye content - Henna that is very finely cleaned, ground and triple (or more) sifted - Body Art Quality henna is often referred to as BAQ henna (not henna for hair)
You'll have to brush off the henna once it's done drying, and clean up the mess. Henna needs to stay on for 4-24 hours to really soak into the skin to get dark before brushing off. So if you plan on going somewhere right after applying, just be advised of this.
When scraping henna off the skin, I always think it looks like mice poop so don’t be alarmed!
Please don't hesitate to write and ask questions about any step.
