Within every woman lies a powerful force. Yet, somewhere along the line, the burdens of responsibility and desire to nurture the ones they love cause that fire to dim, and they lose their sense of self. The Vital Spark brings women on an immersive journey that reunites them with their innate humor, cunning, and assertiveness. Combining personal stories, intercultural fairy tales, and deep analysis, Lisa Marchiano shares resources that inspire women to break free from the conditioning that has kept them confined to rigid roles and muffled the sound of their soul. Here, she invites us to explore eight core aspects of ourselves: shrewdness, disagreeableness, desire, trickiness, sexuality, anger, authority, and ruthlessness. Each chapter reinforces the truth of our relentlessly human narrative in the truest sense - allowing for the retrieval of our “outlaw” energies and deepest parts of our authentic selves. “For a woman to return to herself, she must be reunited with her own central fire,” Marchiano says. “No longer does she need to feel obligated to set aside a part of herself to feel valued by society, betraying her essential nature in the interest of pleasing external forces.” The Vital Spark offers a guide to recovering the fiercely brave spirit that lies within our original wholeness.