Lisa Marchiano

A renowned Jungian analyst shares a call to action for women who dream of reuniting with their brilliant, creative, and fiercely independent nature.

Within every woman lies a powerful a vibrant, sizzling spirit that lives life to the fullest. For so many of us, the burdens of responsibility, caretaking, and social expectations cause us to bury this essential part of ourselves under six feet of niceness. Yet as Jungian analyst Lisa Marchiano says, “Our inner flame of embodied wisdom, sharp-witted cunning, burning passion, and empowered confidence is never truly extinguished.” With The Vital Spark, she invites us on an immersive journey to reclaim the split-off parts of ourselves that enliven and rejuvenate us―and allow us to become who we were meant to be.

Combining personal stories, intercultural mythology, and guidance for inner exploration, Marchiano shares invaluable resources for breaking free from the conditioning that has kept us confined to rigid roles and muffled the sound of our souls. Here she invites us to explore eight core aspects of shrewdness, disagreeableness, desire, trickiness, sexuality, anger, authority, and ruthlessness. Each chapter reinforces the truth of our relentlessly human narrative in the truest sense―allowing us to retrieve our “outlaw” energies, our discarded talents, and the deepest parts of our authentic selves.

“When we try to domesticate our wild, assertive, and liberated spirit,” says Marchiano, “she flies away to some shadowy part of our soul, where she waits for us to find her again. Though she can be a bit savage and uncivilized, she is also the very best of us―and what we need to become whole.” The Vital Spark is a guide to recovering our courageous inner spirit so we can access her wisdom, her fire, and her burning aliveness.

The Vital Spark

Laura Mei

Strong feelings we have in response to others often indicate that they are displaying a trait we may need to own and develop in ourselves. Be especially wary of feelings toned with judgment—such as outrage, indignation, or moral superiority. When these arise, it is usually a good sign that we are working hard to hold some disowned part of ourselves at bay. If a woman’s stubbornness annoys you, ask yourself whether you need to claim your own tendency to be unyielding. If she seems selfish as she pursues her heart’s desire, consider what has become of yours.

We cannot stay cut off from our vital spark without paying a great price; sooner or later, the unlived life asserts itself. It may produce symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or physical ailments. It visits us in dreams filled with troubling imagery. It may even orchestrate accidents or spectacular failures to get our attention. If we continue to ignore it, we will likely become bitter, resentful, or rigid.

When the unlived life demands to be known, we may feel frightened, as our previous assumptions about our life and identity are challenged. We are asked to admit that we may not be the person we thought we were. It may feel safer to stay small and cling to our former certainties. Being connected with the central fire can be exhilarating, but it can also be terrifying.

Ignoring our desires can leave us feeling depleted and resentful. When we neglect our desires, we lose access to the life-giving energy of the central fire. Learning to listen for the insistent prodding of our heart's desire later in life is vital for uncovering those glowing coals beneath the grey ash. Getting in touch with our authentic desires is critical for engaging with life as fully as possible.

I’m not referring to superficial ego appetites. A heartfelt desire arises from a deep place; it comes folded within us—a secret kernel we carry from birth. It may seem irrational or at odds with what we’ve always expected from ourselves. It nags. We put it away and tell ourselves not to be ridiculous, but it keeps coming back. The heart’s desire is always a thing of spiritual significance. Whether we wish for great love, a farm at the bend of a river, or fame and glory, our heart’s desire usually speaks of a yearning for the transcendent and a reaching for our destiny.

One of Jung’s central ideas is that psychological development unfurls mysteriously toward an ultimate goal. He referred to this as 

, a Greek word meaning “end.” According to this understanding, we all have an innate goal toward which we strive, even though we may not realize it. The metaphor of an acorn offers a way to imagine this inner pattern. An acorn, small enough to fit into the palm of our hand, contains everything needed to unfold into a giant oak.

Jung spoke extensively about the need to tend to the blossoming of this innate goal, which he termed 

. According to Jung, individuation is the process of becoming what one truly is—accomplishing one’s destiny and fulfilling the determinations given in the form of the germ. It is the unfolding of this germ, the becoming of the primitive pattern with which one was born.

When we live according to this inner pattern, we are becoming the oak we came into the world with the potential to be. When we are not living according to this pattern, life may feel stale and empty. We sense that something is wrong. We may find ourselves full of secret resentments.

People who have not received a lot of nurturance growing up can sometimes realize early on that they must be responsible for themselves. As a result, they don't suffer from an illusion that the world will look out for them, and they become very adept at caring for themselves. They can come by shrewdness easily.

The Vital Spark quotes

Join the club