OUR BANNER AND ITS MEANING
The Banner is a figure of a stately woman, Virgo, the 6th sign of the Zodiac which from ancient times has symbolised purity. She holds a pitcher of water and from it directs a stream of water onto fire. This symbolises purification of the body and the quenching of fiery passions. The flames leaping up from the fire symbolise purification of the spirit and the ears of corn in the background denote abundant life and prosperity.
Underneath the banner sits the Insignia of Temperantia: an annular space formed by 2 circles embracing the word TEMPERANTIA with a clock, bridle, bit and check pieces within the centre.
The clock is a meter of antiquity and denotes the endless corridors of time. Its hands provide a line of demarcation and the bridle expresses regulation. The rings of the bridle suggest flexure and tolerance. The bit denotes control and the check pieces signify uprightness and concord; a check on impetuosity.
Collectively, the banner and insignia express in pictorial form the fact that Freemasonry is a society of men concerned with moral and spiritual values and that this Lodge practices those precepts through temperate acts and behaviour and moderation in all things.
our history & principles
We were consecrated as a Craft Lodge on 13th May 1920. We are a daughter lodge of Lodge Semper Eadem, No 3091, also of Leicester. We have met regularly every year since then through depression, war and social change. We look forward to celebrating our centenary
We were created a temperance lodge at the wish of then Provincial Grand Master, WBro Edward Holmes, who, in the late 1910s, expressed a wish that “the Province should have a teetotal lodge but not necessarily a lodge of total abstainers; the intention being that such a lodge would provide a Masonic home for young men who wished to become members of the Craft and who would prefer a Lodge with teetotal principles” and thus we were formed.
Read carefully, the subtlety of the Provincial Grand Master’s statement is self-evident. As times and mores change so principle can be applied to all aspects of life. Hence we are Temperantia and practice temperance but what is temperance?
Temperance is the practice of moderation in all things.
It was one of the four “cardinal” virtues held to be vital to society in Hellenic culture. It is one of the Four Cardinal Virtues considered central to Christian behaviour by the Catholic Church and by the other Christian denominations in general. It is an important tenet of the moral codes of other world religions too, for example, it is one of the Five Precepts of Buddhism.
Classically, temperance was defined as governing natural appetites for the pleasure of senses according to the bounds of reason. No virtue could be sustained in the face of inability to control oneself, if the virtue was opposed to some desire; this is why temperance is classified as a cardinal virtue, where “cardinal” signifies “pivotal”.
Temperantia Lodge No.4088
Freemasons’ Hall
80 London Road
Leicester
LE2 0RA
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