The Spirit of Tea

by Frank Hadley Murphy

The Spirit of Tea is a radical, unique departure from all other tea books, touching upon tea's transcendental nature. While much is written about tea's healing benefits and curative properties, tea's mystical attributes get little attention. What is it that keeps us coming back to humanity's favorite beverage after water? Featuring of the six classical categories of tea, White, Yellow, Green, Oolong, Black (or Red in China), and Puerh teas, Murphy explores heretofore unknown vistas of tea: controversial aspects of tea's intrinsic qualities myths about tea new qualities of tea practical information history and characteristics Fascinating, this detailed narrative is informative, philosophical and ground-breaking.

Genres: Tea, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Tamra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having recently discovered tea and having found that it calls to me, I decided that 2018 would be the year that I try out using tea as a spiritual practice. I was thrilled to know that this is a tradition dating back thousands of years! I found a few books to help me on my way, and this was the first in my tea book series.

Pros:
Frank is PASSIONATE about tea. He knows a crazy amount of stuff and he's happy to share his extensive knowledge.
He makes recommendations about specific kinds of teas in each of the 6 traditional categories of tea. I have purchased them all.
He makes lot of recommendations on how to be more intentional about making and drinking tea. Since tea invites me to slow down and breathe in life, I found many of his ideas quite useful.

Cons:
Frank often blurs the lines between science and folk magic / spirituality. It bothered me, for example, that he says that water can be "molecularly re-arranged." It can't. Or that praying over tea leaves changes their chemistry. He states these things as fact and uses a de-bunked pseudo-scientific book as a source. I deeply appreciate science and I have a deep respect for religion as well, and I dislike claims that detract from the real power of either.
It's hard for me to take seriously all of Frank's spiritual visions while drinking tea. They obviously were meaningful for him and he's been moved by them, but I found them somewhat alarming. If I start seeing lips kissing my tea, or dragons rising from my glass, or men who represent ancient spirits sitting in a tea shop, I hope that someone finds me help.

In conclusion, this book is hard for me to rate. I found it helpful and took very seriously his approach to tea. But I can't follow him all the places he goes and became angered (or at least annoyed) at his unverifiable claims that he backs up with bad science. It's a quick read, though, so I finished it. And so far I've enjoyed the teas he recommended and felt inspired to enjoy tea in a whole new (to me) way. I'll take the good and leave the rest.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must Read - 5
Important - 3
Kept My Attention - 5
Accessible - 5
Well-written - 5

[Ehsan Giroux · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read and somewhat pleasant in some personal anecdotes this book didn't really give me the spirit of tea but rather the author's personal connection to tea. It's a great read if you're on a plane or in a tea house but isn't really something I'd say is important in the grand scheme of tea books.
This book to me is a "meh" but if you like tea and want something quick and kind of pleasant then by all means give it a go.

It's philosophical approach is not as in depth and applicable as other books and the spiritual aspect is sometimes iffy in some aspects.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very spiritual take on tea (hence the title name), with some interesting tidbits I did not know about tea (how pu-erh is generally green tea that is fermented, but can really be any tea).

p45: "Whether it is a Yixing pot of a Mason jar, if your intentions are honorable and you approach tea with reverence and respect, there is no wrong way to make it."

[Caroline W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think it was possible for someone ti be more passionate about tea than I. I enjoyed this book, but was disappointed that he chose ti source Gimbutas as a reference. Also, the I ching stuff seemed a bit irrelevant. But, this read like poetry. I am eager to recommend it to my local tea shop.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Frank at the Ann Arbor Book Festival, and he's as awesome as his book. If you're looking to connect to your planet in a unique and inspiring way, read this book! It's about the spirituality of the tea-making/drinking experience.