Serving Fire: Food for Thought, Body, and Soul

A modest book with some good insights on the spiritual symbolism of food and nourishing oneself at the hearth of one's home. It's a great subject that has not been adequately explored (either in this book or in others). Most books of this type explore either the general mind-body connection or accessing one's creativity, but don't focus specifically on food. I liked what I got from this book, especially insights about the goddess Hestia. But there wasn't enough real life examples from the author's actual practice. What exactly is a nutritional counselor? I wanted case studies and solutions. Instead, I got idyllic stories about her and her husband and her adorable little girls enjoying their country home. Not as much content as I would have liked.

There aren't enough good things to say about this book. The premise is that in losing the 'hearth' in a home, the whole family and whole culture suffers. Cooking is a sacred act and it nourishes so very much more than nutritional needs in a family. This is a global truth as the writer explores in chapters about Buddhists, ancient Goddesses, and modern families.

The title of this review appears on the book's cover; I couldn't think of a better one. While the themes Anne Scott covers --nutrition, goddesses, ancient practices such as Chinese medicine and the spiritual meaning of the seasons-- have become quite popular recently, this book has a unique voice. It is relatively short and compact and each page is filled with a quietly intense wisdom. The unifying theme is the hearth; that too often overlooked (in modern times) place of physical or spiritual fire that provides us with nourishment. Anne Scott explores this from many traditions. She focuses on several fire goddesses -- Hestia (Greek), Pele (Hawaiian), Brighde (Irish) and Gabija (Lithuanian), relates conversations with various teachers and healers and describes how the seasons correspond to the elements of Chinese medicine. Throughout the book are personal anecdotes that relate to the subject; indeed, the book seems to come primarily from her experience and life lessons. There is also some good advice on eating appropriately for the seasons, talking to children about food and eating more consciously. Like many spiritually-focused books, this one encourages us to slow down, pay more attention to our surroundings and appreciate the abundance of nature. This one accomplishes something rare; it is itself an expression of the kind of simplicity and awareness it advocates.

This book is a little bit hard to describe. I like its analogy of the hearth as a foundation of our lives, and the connection of the hearth to fire Goddesses, to home, to cooking, to our relationship with food, to the center (or lack of it) of our homes, and to our own "centers." The lack of hearths in our lives is described in a way that helps the reader understand the significance of that lack. And unlike many other books that just describe a problem, this book offers solutions. The book contains much information about fire Goddesses, but not in the usual sense of merely presenting their story, their mythology. It has the history of their contribution to the world, and it's full of the author's reflections on how those Goddesses and the lack of their presence in society today affect us negatively. But again, there are solutions. There are also many, many experiential exercises and short meditations in the book to help us get in touch with various aspects of ourselves that may be hindering our ability to connect with aspects of these Goddesses and with ourselves. The exercises/meditations are important because, as the author says, "These archetypes hold tremendous power, and yet our understanding of them remains an intellectual exercise unless we experience their meaning in our daily lives. How do we bridge the distance that separates intellect from inner experience? First, we must consider our individual feelings in relationship to these Goddesses. These feelings lead us to meaning, and gradually the power of these archetypes becomes our own."She writes about how the Goddess Pele helps us learn to see ourselves through "the eye of the heart," a watcher of sorts who is within us, who lesson is kindness to self. Again taking this lesson back to the hearth, she writes: "As we grow accustomed to this process of inner watching, we gradually awaken to ways in which be block our own nourishment." The author talks about Chinese medicine and healing as well as from other cultures. And she talks about seasons, and how to intelligently adjust our eating to the seasons. But mostly she talks about who we are, and how we get that way and how food and hearth and home and love and the Goddesses who embody these things can help us. It's just a great all-around book for anyone into self-growth, parenting/nurturing, home life, raising children, learning about Paganism...I could go on and on. Get the book.