what does the rainbow symbolise in the royal ark mariner degree

The rainbow represents the covenant between God and man, signalling hope, renewal, and a promise of peace after the storm, as an article on the District Grand Lodge of India (Scottish Constitution) website notes.

In the Royal Ark Mariner degree, rainbow colouring is used because the ritual is founded on the Legend of the Flood 1. Waite takes the blending of red and blue in the rainbow to signify union in Masonic symbolism, though he notes that this rationale applies logically to any complementary colours 1. This visual symbolism featured in the degree's early regalia during the late eighteenth century, where members wore a broad ribbon sash depicting the rainbow 2.

Waite sets out this interpretation in his entry on colours in *A New Encyclopædia of Freemasonry* 1. He explains that because a rainbow is viewed as a blend of red and blue, it is termed an emblem of union in Masonic symbolism 1. He remains critical of this derivation, however, observing that such a explanation would apply logically to any complementary blending of colours 1.

In his broader discussion of Masonic colour symbolism across the degrees, he notes that red or crimson belongs particularly to the Royal Arch, where it serves as a sign of zeal, fervour, and fidelity 1. The Mark degree uses the same distinguishing colours as the Craft, while the Royal Ark Mariner degree—which is attached to the Mark—adopts rainbow colouring due to its connection with the Legend of the Flood 1.