What is the significance of the Inner Veil in Freemasonry?

Passing through the veils symbolizes the trials, obstacles, and moral preparation required in the search for Truth 1. Each stage in the progression represents distinct virtues demanded of the candidate during his journey toward the Holy Place, culminating in the white veil as an emblem of purity of life, which is necessary to be found worthy of receiving Divine Truth and the Signet of Zerubbabel 1.

The ceremony of Passing the Veils—including the Inner Veil—was an early feature of Royal Arch practice that represents these spiritual trials, as a paper read before Quatuor Coronati Lodge details. Although no longer part of standard English Chapter workings, it retains its place in Irish, Scottish, and Bristol workings, where Captains of the Veils guard the passes with their banners during the ritual, as the Grand Lodge of Ireland explains.