Feminist Post debuts on the day of the Epiphany: we didn't plan it, you think. It is entirely coincidental, but perhaps not -ironies are allowed anyway-.
Befana (or Befanìa) is a popular mispronunciation of the Greek ἐπιφάνεια (epipháneia) which in turn comes from ἐπιφαίνω = I show myself, I present myself, I manifest myself. Well, we 'manifest' ourselves today. Here we are. A auspicious and propitious coincidenceThe Christian feast of Epiphany is much older than Christianity and closes the cycle of the solar year being reborn a few days earlier. It is the last of the Twelve Magical Nights, which began with the 'door' of the rising Sun. It is the Roman Goddess Strenna who brings gifts for Saturnalia, is the Goddess Diana flying through the skies accompanied by her companions, is the Germanic Frau Holle, the tenebrous Perchta or Berta who visits our homes at night and teaches women how to spin (because Goddesses have been spinning, weaving and cutting threads since the dawn of time). E' the dark aspect of the Goddess, the Old Woman who dies and is reborn, like Mother Nature, in eternity.
Apparently fate is favourable to us, We want to believe it and we are confident in this undertaking of ours, which has required a lot of energy and which we now want to share with you, with the friends who have been following RadFem Italia for three years and with all the others to come. Feminist Post began as a place for information and discussion open to the world (many international texts, as you will see) and also to your contributions. Give us a hand to enrich it, to make it grow and circulate.
May the Goddess, the Lady, guide our work and give us the strength to do beautiful things.
Happy Epiphany to us all!
Anna Perenna