Illustrated by Madison Cawein
ISBN 978-1-890932-35-0
Hardbound
$21.95

"Tea is quiet and makes a quietness inside, at least momentarily, as we savor it. I know no one who enters that quietness and appreciates tea more deeply than Frank Murphy."

--James Norwood Pratt

"Murphy has achieved a level of tea unknown to me.  He has found a connection to the mystic powers of tea and the unknown.....In these levels of awareness, although a religious person myself, I must admit that he is by far ahead of me and indeed, my teacher."

--Roy Fong,  The Imperial Tea Court  (from the Foreword)

The Spirit of Tea, is a radical 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 keeps us coming back to humanity's favorite beverage after water?  Featuring the six classical categories of tea, white, yellow, green, oolong, black (or red in China) and Pu-erh, 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.  

This fascinating, detailed narrative is informative, philosophical and ground-breaking.

 

Frank Hadley Murphy was born into an old New England family in Boston, Massachusetts.  A seminary drop-out, he graduated from the American Tea Masters Association's tea mastership program and is senior student of Tea Master and Taoist priest, Roy Fong.  Lecturing nationally, most recently for the Santa Fe Opera in conjunction with their US premier of Tan Dun's "Tea: A Mirror of Soul", Mr. Murphy lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he owns Jade Mountain Tea Company.

Madison Cawein was born in Louisville, Kentucky and lives in Santa Fe, N.M.  An acclaimed American artist, Madison is also an exceptional Chinese calligrapher.