Literary notes about supernal (AI summary)
The term "supernal" is used to evoke a realm that transcends everyday existence, imbuing the subject with an aura of the divine or otherworldly. It often marks a contrast between human limitations and celestial grandeur, as in descriptions of divine delight shaping creation [1] or the molding of earthly forms according to a higher pattern [2]. The word enriches texts by lending a sublime quality to visions of blissful radiance [3] and transcendent light that transforms ordinary spaces into havens of sanctity [4, 5]. It is equally at home in depicting metaphysical ideals, such as exalted wisdom and cosmic order [6, 7], and in grounding ethereal imagery in tangible elements like lofty palaces or celestial music [8, 9]. In this way, "supernal" serves as a bridge between the human and the divine, inviting readers into a contemplation of a reality that is both elevated and ineffable.
- Trust one of us, this Whole supernal Is made but for a God's delight!
— from Faust [part 1]. Translated Into English in the Original Metres by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - Thou didst mould the whole To that supernal pattern.
— from The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius - She saw Ralph's face, a face clouded with grief but yet lightened by a supernal glow.
— from The Vision of Elijah Berl by Frank Lewis Nason - Before my open and astonished eyes, the whole room was transformed into a strange world, the sunlight transmuted into supernal splendor.
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda - The supernal light alone, dawning upon the human heart, can exceed the marvel of such a sunrise.
— from Robert Falconer by George MacDonald - When she lost her belief in the supernal wisdom and power of her god, her world must have fallen about her.
— from The Wonder by J. D. (John Davys) Beresford - It is not my or your spirit, but just—an ideal, supernal one, it is "God."
— from The Ego and His Own by Max Stirner - The grand sorcerer's dominion was directly underneath the supernal palace of Egyplosis.
— from The Goddess of Atvatabar Being the history of the discovery of the interior world and conquest of Atvatabar by William Richard Bradshaw - The cry of the chickadees, the twitter of the snowbirds, the call of Bob White from the fence sounded like supernal music in her ears.
— from The Hungry Heart: A Novel by David Graham Phillips
