ÉDITO

Alain Daniélou, Zagarolo, Rome, Février 1991. Photo Sophie Bassouls

Apologies for this long delay in sending our winter solstice newsletter. Since this period is full of feast days, however, we shall place it under the sign of a thoroughly pagan Roman festival, known as the “Befana”. This curious corruption is a transformation of the word “Epiphany” by dissolute Romans into the “Befana”, personified by a strega – a witch - wearing a black shawl, flying on her broomstick to bring gifts (yet more gifts, after those of St Nicolas, Christmas and New Year, without forgetting Halloween) or lumps of coal – the latter for disobedient or lazy children ! The recent proposal to suppress this joyous and popular feast day raised such protest that it had to be reinstated !

Together with this letter, you will find the various projects envisaged to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of Alain Daniélou’s birth, which will in some way be the climax of my activities in this field. Indeed, the target I fixed (the publication of all Alain Daniélou’s writings) is about to be achieved, and since I don’t think I shall be around for his 200th anniversary in 2107….