Lodge Elizabeth Saint Leger (Dublin, Ireland)
Lodge Elizabeth St. Leger is a freemasonic lodge in Dublin, Ireland under the auspices of Le Droit Humain, the International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women. Le Droit Humain is an International Order, and has been working on the island of Ireland since the 1920s, with activity both in the Irish Republic and in Northern Ireland. Lodge Elizabeth St. Leger is the most recent iteration of this work, formed in 2012. Lodge Elizabeth St. Leger is a triangle, or a lodge in its early years that is still finding its feet and direction, and we work closely with the British Federation, with which we are affiliated.
As well as our activity in Dublin, Ireland, there are also Le Droit Humain lodges in Northern Ireland, being St. Michael Lodge, and St. Patrick Lodge. In addition to the work of craft lodges, Le Droit Humain also works additional rituals of freemasonry.
Le Droit Humain
Le Droit Humain, French for ‘Human Rights’, was and is the worlds first comasonic Order. Co-masonry, also called Co-Freemasonry, Mixed Masonry and Freemasonry for Men and Women, is a branch of Freemasonry that has initiated men and women on an equal basis since 1893.
“The International Order of Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain, is an initiatory, philosophical, secular, philanthropic and Masonic institution whose aim is to work for the perfection or progress of humanity. On an individual level, it strives ‘to promote the progress of individual worth, without the imposition of dogma, or exacting the abandonment of cultural or religious ideas’. On a group level ‘it works to unite men and women who agree on a humanist spirituality whilst respecting individual and cultural differences”.
The International Order of Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain, is worldwide. Membership is open to men and women, without distinction of ethnicity or personal beliefs. Our Order is founded on the ancient teachings and traditions of Freemasonry and works a system of initiatory continuity from the 1st to the 33rd Degree, inclusive, of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite.
Le Droit Humain was founded in 1893, and the British Federation was founded in 1902. You can find out more about the history of our Order here.
Masonic ritual and symbolism are the tools Freemasons use in the search for Truth, whether this is their personal spiritual journey or a path towards the perfection of mankind; to Liberty, Equality and Fraternity – human rights, Le Droit Humain.”
Who Was Elizabeth St. Leger?
Elizabeth St. Leger was a woman who accidentally viewed a freemasonic ceremony in 18th century Cork, Ireland, and to preserve the confidence of this protected experience, she was duly initiated. She is often hailed as the first female freemason, and thus the first of many, often unacknowledged and disregarded, women freemasons. Le Droit Humain, the international Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women has initiated both men and women on an equal basis since 1893, and continues to do so today. Thus our lodge is named after an Irish woman who stands as a leading light for our work today.
The Work of Our Lodge
As a lodge we are focused on:
- The advancement of humankind, tearing down arbitrary exclusions based on sex, gender, sexuality, race, religion or social standing, while upholding upstanding character and conduct, and nurturing it in all our members.
- “Making masons”, striving for excellence in the rituals, or mystery dramas members pass through, using symbol and allegory to teach important life lessons and values.
- Education, both peer-to-peer on general aspects of masonry, and as a graduated path of learning the significance of the symbols and allegories of the degrees. This includes subjects that may be considered ‘esoteric’, or specialised knowledge with practical value.
- Sharing values, and acting upon them, both inside a lodge meeting, and in our daily lives without.
- Charity, acts of support and regard for our fellow human beings.
- Community building and fraternity, building strong bonds of trust and mutual support through a culture of mutual striving.
- Self-reflection, self-understanding and self-development as the basis for our social responsibilities. Becoming people of value and substance.
- Developing skills that benefit our lodge and that can be applied by members in many other walks of life.