I went to a lovely Blessingway for my friend Lisa, who’s due to deliver her 6th child next week. And as part of the blessing, a wonderful woman named Marcy was there to paint henna Mehndi art on her belly. Covering the belly in natural henna is believed to bring about a safe and gentle birth, a tradition long held in India. Most women get the belly blessing close to when the baby is due.
Marcy is an amazing artist. And so fast! This is the final masterpiece:
Here’s a brief slide show that reveals the stages leading up to the finale:
To see more of Marcy’s beautiful work, check out her website. (www.mehndibymarcy.com).
After the mother-to-be had received her blessing, Marcy offered to do henna tattoos on the others who were present. I like tattoos, especially on men (but not overdone, please) although I’m not into getting a real tattoo for myself. But a henna tattoo, I thought, why not?
So I got two!
Here are mine. These first shots are the designs after the henna paste is applied. You have to allow the paste to dry (preferably overnight if possible) and then scrap the dried paste off. Beneath the paste is the lovely henna design in an orangy-brown color that darkens to a nice brown. The longer you leave the paste on, the darker the henna stain gets. And then it all fades away in one-to-three weeks.
My hands are so old-looking! It’s hell gettin’ old…
I’m surprised how many people noticed my henna! I was out last night and got several compliments and questions and today my dog customers noticed right away. It’s fun.
Do you have tattoos? Have you ever had henna tattoos? What’s your opinion of tattoos? Have you ever seen a pregnant woman get her belly blessed with mehndi art?
Angels Bark 