Masonic Virtues: Temperance
Every time you pass through the Processional Corridor of Freemasons’ Hall, the window of Temperance has a way of slowing you down — which feels fitting, because slowing down is the first step toward her lesson.
The figure is dressed in soft blues and ivory, her expression calm and focused as she gently pours water from one vessel to another. It’s a small, deliberate act — nothing grand, nothing rushed. But in that steady stream, you see the heart of Temperance: the wisdom to balance our actions, our words, and our feelings so that none spill over into excess.
At her feet, two white swans rest in quiet harmony. They seem perfectly at ease, their stillness reflecting her composure. Swans, to me, are a reminder that restraint is not cold or joyless — it can be graceful, even beautiful, when it comes from a place of peace. Behind her, a small brook winds through the green of the landscape, reminding me that balance is not about standing still; it’s about moving steadily and adapting to life’s turns.
Temperance is a virtue we have to work at. In Lodge, in work, and our personal life, there’s a temptation to do more, speak more, feel more — to react before reflecting. But each time you stand before this window, you're reminded that it is the measured pour that keeps the vessel full, and the unhurried pace that ensures the journey is completed well.
If you would like to be part of a global community that has its roots firmly in the ground in Buckinghamshire, please join us by following this link: https://buckspgl.org/join
The figure is dressed in soft blues and ivory, her expression calm and focused as she gently pours water from one vessel to another. It’s a small, deliberate act — nothing grand, nothing rushed. But in that steady stream, you see the heart of Temperance: the wisdom to balance our actions, our words, and our feelings so that none spill over into excess.
At her feet, two white swans rest in quiet harmony. They seem perfectly at ease, their stillness reflecting her composure. Swans, to me, are a reminder that restraint is not cold or joyless — it can be graceful, even beautiful, when it comes from a place of peace. Behind her, a small brook winds through the green of the landscape, reminding me that balance is not about standing still; it’s about moving steadily and adapting to life’s turns.
Temperance is a virtue we have to work at. In Lodge, in work, and our personal life, there’s a temptation to do more, speak more, feel more — to react before reflecting. But each time you stand before this window, you're reminded that it is the measured pour that keeps the vessel full, and the unhurried pace that ensures the journey is completed well.
If you would like to be part of a global community that has its roots firmly in the ground in Buckinghamshire, please join us by following this link: https://buckspgl.org/join