Follow Me!
Author Archives: Mary A. Osborne
From the spring 2023 issue of Parabola: The alchemy of Cinderella
The ancient fairytale–beloved by many, dismissed as antifeminist by a few–was never really about the prince. A Jungian perspective sheds light on the deepest meaning of the story, illuminating archetypes and alchemical symbolism that express fundamental patterns of the human … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on From the spring 2023 issue of Parabola: The alchemy of Cinderella
An Irish Miracle Worker in the Spring Issue of Parabola
Here in the spring issue of Parabola magazine, you’ll find essays by beloved Pulitzer Prize winner Mary Oliver, Zen Master Peter Coyote, and Wisdom teacher Cynthia Bourgeault, along with my piece about the Irish miracle worker, Valentine Greatrakes (1628-1683). “The most … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on An Irish Miracle Worker in the Spring Issue of Parabola
Love letter from a COVID-19 foxhole
There is, I think, cause for optimism, even though the war is just beginning. No doubt, the next couple weeks will be a bumpy ride. Maybe you are one of the fortunate soldiers like me, charged with staying home and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Love letter from a COVID-19 foxhole
The longest night of the year
Long before Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the third century AD, long before the custom of Christmas became a worldwide phenomenon, cultures across the globe celebrated Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. For those of us in the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on The longest night of the year
Intelligent design and the imagined world
René Descartes, the French philosopher and mathematician, imagined the cosmos as a complex machine operating according to precise mechanical laws. His theory implies the existence of a designer, a benevolent Creator or watchmaker, and describes an ordered elegance that seems counter to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Intelligent design and the imagined world
Making art while our beds are burning
I’ve been worried about things like climate change, clean air and water, nuclear war, women’s and immigrants’ rights, corporate greed, racism, and affordable health care. So many causes, so little time. I try to be a good citizen by doing … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Making art while our beds are burning
Artist Waylaid: Michelangelo’s stint as a defense engineer
Artists, writers, creatives, take heart; even Michelangelo was waylaid from his vocation as a sculptor when practical demands required that he direct his efforts elsewhere for a time. The master of Renaissance art was obliged to set aside his excellent … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged creative process, Michelangelo, support for artists and writers, writers life, writers resources, writing fiction
Comments Off on Artist Waylaid: Michelangelo’s stint as a defense engineer
Diving in and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
While waiting for the right time to begin that novel you’ve been thinking about, or to take that trip or write that song, the days march on. We give our precious time to obligations that have nothing at all to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Diving in and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
The best headstrong young women, and Walt Whitman
Like the heroine of Alchemy’s Daughter, I have occasionally been described as “headstrong” by those closest to me. I take this as a compliment, despite the negative connotations of the word. Without a degree of willfulness, how else is a … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on The best headstrong young women, and Walt Whitman
Harper Lee, the sadness of Go Set a Watchman, and virtual tours
With the release of Go Set a Watchman, I have been thinking of the beloved author Harper Lee and wondering, like many of her fans, if she ever really intended for this book to be published. Something is not quite … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Comments Off on Harper Lee, the sadness of Go Set a Watchman, and virtual tours