Faulks - Henna magic: crafting charms & rituals with sacred body art

Chris Lee

About the Author

Philippa Faulks (Norwich, United Kingdom) studies herbology, ancient religions, and anthropology, with a special focus on ancient Egypt and the Middle East. She is the author of four books whose subjects include Freemasonry, magic, and meditation.

Visit her online at www.philippafaulks.co.uk.

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Henna Magic: Crafting Charms & Rituals with Sacred Body Art 2010 by Philippa Faulks.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means.

Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the authors copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

First e-book edition 2011

E-book ISBN: 9780738728339

Book design by Rebecca Zins

Cover design and henna image used on pages i, v, and 268 by Lisa Novak

Illustrations by Llewellyn Art Department except for sidebar ornament
and illustrations on pages vii, 51, 61, 6369, 170, and 195 by Philippa Faulks

Henna plant on page 23 from Medieval Herb, Plant and Flower Illustrations
by Carol Belanger Grafton (Dover Publications 2004); owl image on page 96
from Magic and Mystical Symbols (Dover Publications 2004)

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publishers website for links to current author websites.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to
the henna djinn

&

my beautiful daughter,
of whom I am so proud

: Black Henna/PPD Warning

Henna

Magic

Henna Magic Through the Ages

Charms, Talismans & Symbols

Herbs and Oils in Henna Magic

Magical Correspondences

A Henna Ritual: the Application

Henna Spells

Henna Rituals

: Henna Resources & Information

A project like this can never be done alone, and I am lucky enough to have been inspired, helped, and given encouragement by many who have become new friends. My gratitude and appreciation goes to everyone who helped in any way.

Firstly, my thanks go to the team at Llewellyn Worldwide, especially Elysia Gallo and Rebecca Zins, for their insight and belief in the magic of henna.

But my deepest gratitude goes to those who have offered their help gratis and with great encouragement: Alex Morgan of Spellstone for her sublime artwork and designs; the henna girlshenna artists Farah Khan, Sarah Ali Khan, Amrit Bansal, Maggie Johnston, and Darcy Vfor letting me use photographs throughout the book of their beautiful henna work; and photographer Ro Lee-Foyster for her patience and skill in capturing the alchemy at work. Special thanks must go to Catherine Cartwright-Jones for creating the Henna Pages and all its accompanying work, for without her tireless research and passionate love of henna, we would all be lost for inspiration and knowledge on the subject. Thanks also to Joe James and Claire Watts for testing the henna pens so creatively.

Last but not least, my eternal love and thanks to my husband and daughter for their continual support and encouragement, even when I was a henna hermit during the writing of the book.

Black Henna/PPD Warning

In recent times, there has been increasing use of a substance called black henna to attempt to achieve very dark, temporary henna tattoosthis is not henna. It is often a mixture of black hair dye incorporating PPD (paraphenylenediamine), which can be, at the least, irritating to the skinbut in more serious cases, it can cause allergic reactions (including respiratory or organ failure) and/or severe skin burns. PPD or other additives may even be added to red henna, so it is very important to use pure henna.

Please do not use this substance; only purchase henna that comes from a reputable retailer. I have included details of some of the best suppliers in the appendix at the back of the book.

It is also wise to avoid using henna on children under five, as its use for large applications (e.g., palm, head, etc.) has been linked to blood cell depletion leading to hyperbilirubinemia. In the case of children with G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency, henna can cause serious risk of illness or death and should be avoided.

For pregnancy, henna is generally safe to use after the first trimester, but not all essential oils are safe; please refer to chapter 3 for further information or consult your obstetrician.

Sarah Ali Khan, HennaPro

Full arm henna

The use of henna conjures up different images for different people. For some, the flaming red of hennaed hair is the most enduring image, often associated with the hippy era; others remember the delicate tracings on hands and feet that are used for festivals and weddings in the Middle Eastern and Indian cultures. In fact, henna has been used globally for decoration, medicine, and cosmetic use for over 5,000 years, and it is an enduring practice that has not lost its powerful beauty and mystery. In this book, I hope to give you a glimpse of the history, usage, and symbolism of this perennially magical plant.

For Westerners, the ceremony that we tend to associate henna decoration with is, of course, the wedding. We all have seen the pictures of beautiful Indian brides delicately covered in the intricate and symbolic tracery of mehndi the Indian name for henna body decorationto convey blessings of good luck and love for the couple.