A painted veil

The veil is a powerful and recurring theme in mystical symbolism. In Islam God is said to wear a veil of light that will only be removed before his worshipers. In Babylonian myth for her descent into the underworld the goddess Inanna has to remove all her clothing in order to save her dead lover, the last item being her beloved veil. And in qabalah there are said to be three veils that separate existence from the supreme nature of God.

So what is the symbolism behind the veil then? In two of the above examples, the veil is something that obscures the true nature of divinity. In the above example it is said that the veil of light could also be translated as a veil of fire and it is said that if Allah removed this " the splendour of His countenance would consume His creation so far as His sight reaches."

The veil in qabalah present a mystical allegory, for they represent that which the mind cannot comprehend. The true nature of divinity is such that the mind would not be able to truly be able to describe or ascertain its true nature without direct experience of passing beyond these veils.

And the last could be seen as the lesson that only in humility can true spiritual gnosis be reached. For when Inanna first sets out into the underworld it is her rainments of heaven which she has to remove in order to reach her lover and finally have him restored to life.