The Greeter

Gate Keeper

The Greeter is the gate keeper. She stands at the portal, the entryway to the numinous, magical world of Women in Power. She maintains and clarifies the boundary, both for the initiates who are coming and for the women staffing.

Her appearance and her stance serve to communicate that one is entering an alien world. By her slow, measured movements and speech she demonstrates that, in her world, there is no time but NOW and nothing is more important than what is happening right NOW. Everything she does conveys the message “You are no longer in the world as you know it. You are entering unknown territory. So wake up! Pay attention! Your life depends on it!”

The Greeter stands in the road the initiates must use to enter the site. She motions for incoming cars to stop. She takes her time to reach the car and then looks closely at the passengers inside, taking time to assess their state. Then, looking at each one in turn, she asks “Are you ready to die?” She may add, “Are you ready to die for the power you came here to claim?”

After she speaks to each woman, she continues to look at her, waiting for her response. Some may respond quickly. Some may have no words. Some may be unsure. Some may cry. Some may joke. When she has seen a response of some kind, she can nod and so indicate she has seen that they have responded. If there is more than one initiate in a vehicle she has stopped, she takes time to do this with each one before moving on to the next one. She makes sure that their momentum of coming to WIP has been interrupted and they have become more present as a result.

She can then point to the staff person they need to see next and say “Go see that woman in black”. Through all her interactions, she is never rushed or flustered but remains clearly in charge of the situation. When she is not addressing the incoming initiates, she remains in the road, sitting or standing, silent and grounded. She ignores any questions or comments that are not relevant to her inquiry.

The Greeter represents the scary magical feminine – the Baba Yaga, the Hierophant, the dark face of the Moon, the unknown. She embodies the Mysterious World and stands at the threshold.

She is dressed in black, something long and flowing. Her hair is wild, her lipstick (if she chooses to wear it) is skewed and blood red. She may carry a staff or a stick or hold a basket or smoke a pipe or cigar. Her appearance is meant to unsettle the beholder.