Holy Man/Woman

From Plastic Tub

---

Revision as of 14:11, 3 Sep 2005

Fancy Gloves Grades

Greenhorn Crack Stepper Holy Man/Woman

Holy Man/Woman (n.) 1. Any saint, sage, shaman or mantic practitioner considered to have an odour of sanctity and a ready supply of wisdom. 2. rep. An individual considered to exemplify any given religious teaching in both thought and deed. 3. The third and final grade of The League of Men with Fancy Gloves.

The Call of the Hermaphrodite

Many uninformed commentators have written that candidates for the Holy Man/Woman grade are divided by gender so that, as one might imagine, female candidates are Holy Women and male candidates, Holy Men. This however, is a falsehood arising from a lack of thorough investigation. In fact both men and women are known as "Holy Man/Woman" or, as it appears in some known pamphlets, "Holy Man-Woman." Although the exact meaning of the name is unknown, evidence suggests that it refers to a kind of symbolic hermaphroditism such as may be found in occultic, especially alchemical literature. Speculation is rampant, but the recent discovery of a ritual called "Recovering the Other" lends some credence to the theory.

Cock and Cunt

The Holy Man/Woman is awarded metal guantlets upon whose middle knuckles are affixed silver phalli. Each guantlet, when formed into a clenched fist, also mimics a vagina, the lips of which decorate the thumb and forefinger, the space between becoming the hole. With this highly unusual pair of handware the Holy Man/Woman is able to perform the salute and handshake of their grade. This symbolism lies behind the name of London pub The Cock and Swallow, an obscure east end watering-hole frequented by Gloved Ones.