Does the One Power prevent pregnancy?

[Dagon Thyne]

You always see Aes Sedai using sex to get information, or to lure men into trusting them, but you never hear of them getting pregnant, not even with Green sisters and their Warders, whom I do not believe would really mind having children together in most cases.  

 

So, do you think there is a way to prevent pregnancy using the One Power?  That would be the easiest way to explain the lack of babies in a society which has no qualms screwing their way to power and influence.   

[Wulf]

I'd suspect that it could be used that way intentionally, but it doesn't do it inherently.

 

It wouldn't be much of a stretch at all to imagine the herb ladies that are in every single city/village having a common remedy that prevents such troubles, for the Powered and unPowered alike.

[Wulf]

Or, if I may be as forward as a Saldean farmgirl at harvest, maybe you just can't get babies that way.

[Oddpositions]

How far are you in the books? Channelers can definitely get pregnant. Aes Sedai aren't supposed to have children because they can be used as tools against the channeler. Much like Super Heroes (gotta save Louis Lane!) I just forget if it's an actual rule of the Tower, or an unwritten one... 

 

They mention using the One Power to stop a heart, I think in Dragon Reborn. Liandrin or someone might have mentioned it when they were in Tear. (Just re-read that book the other day!) If not them, then I guarantee Semirhage has mentioned it. I don't have quotes or page numbers, so I could be very wrong. Assuming that Aes Sedai can stop a heart, it's not a far stretch to assume that they can stop pregnancies in the same manner.

 

Otherwise you're gonna have to visit the Wisdom... (Moon Tea in Game of Thrones comes to mind)

[Forshookt]

The contraceptive of choice in Randland is heartleaf tea, as mentioned by Min when she was in shock cause of certain awkward events in WH. And AS generally do not get kids because of the whole "We can outlive our grandchildren" thing. And apparently, its not taboo to do so cause AS who do get pregnant do no get booted out.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Forshookt

[solarz]

On 5/15/2018 at 9:06 AM, Dagon Thyne said:

You always see Aes Sedai using sex to get information, or to lure men into trusting them

 

Where did you get that idea??

[Wulf]

You don't see it often, but it's never far from their minds.

 

Moiraine ruled out the horizontal hugging as a method of controlling Rand by seeing that it ended in future disaster.  There are several instances where it's mentioned by Aes Sedai that slipping one of their number into Rand's bed would be a good way to get him under control.

 

Lan gets Aes-banged as part of his feel-good therapy.

[solarz]

3 hours ago, Wulf said:

You don't see it often, but it's never far from their minds.

 

Moiraine ruled out the horizontal hugging as a method of controlling Rand by seeing that it ended in future disaster.  There are several instances where it's mentioned by Aes Sedai that slipping one of their number into Rand's bed would be a good way to get him under control.

 

Lan gets Aes-banged as part of his feel-good therapy.

 

Moiraine only saw that as something that happened during her vision quest in Rhuidean. In the real timeline, she never even contemplated it before seeing it in Rhuidean.

 

Where did Aes Sedai talk about sleeping with Rand?

 

Myrelle slept with Lan for neither information nor trust.

[Wulf]

Hmm.

 

I could've sworn it would be as simple as ctrl-f, "his bed", but apparently Ol' RJ was quite fond of lots of things happening in "his bed"

 

This hardly proves my point, but feel free to help yourself to a mental picture of Cadsuane and Rand in warderly bliss.

 

 

I've got a few things to do, but I'll see if I can back up my assertions with some references a bit later.

[Sabio]

Moiraine saw a whole bunch of stuff that could of happened, she was even shocked by it.  The Wise Ones were tossing Avi at Rand because the companion confirms some of the Wise Ones knew of her vision of falling in Love with Rand.  You don't see many Aes Sedai running about seducing men to make them trust Aes Sedai.

[solarz]

49 minutes ago, Wulf said:

Hmm.

 

I could've sworn it would be as simple as ctrl-f, "his bed", but apparently Ol' RJ was quite fond of lots of things happening in "his bed"

 

This hardly proves my point, but feel free to help yourself to a mental picture of Cadsuane and Rand in warderly bliss.

 

 

I've got a few things to do, but I'll see if I can back up my assertions with some references a bit later.

 

As the OP is talking about pregnancy, we can't really equate wardership with sex.

 

[Dagon Thyne]

Double post

Edited May 18, 2018 by Dagon Thyne

[Dagon Thyne]

On 5/16/2018 at 4:20 PM, Sabio said:

Moiraine saw a whole bunch of stuff that could of happened, she was even shocked by it.  The Wise Ones were tossing Avi at Rand because the companion confirms some of the Wise Ones knew of her vision of falling in Love with Rand.  You don't see many Aes Sedai running about seducing men to make them trust Aes Sedai.

You see them sleeping with men more than once in the books either to get information, or to gain trust.  Many of the Aes Sedai held by the Black Tower were sleeping with Asha'man, for example.

 

And I do remember more than one Aes Sedai at least hinting that they should have someone become Rand's lover in order to have access to him.  

[agreddon]

While it's possible, I don't think it's an everyday thing with the AS rather than leaning on their power (small p, as opposed to the Big P) and authority to get what they want or need out of a particular situation.

This topic does raise another question:  exactly how are these women getting pregnant any time past 60-70 (and that's a really really long shot)?  Moreover what would be the genetic implications of this, both for the men and the women.

[Sabio]

When you might live to 300, 70 isn't that old.  Their bodies aging slow down with the agelessness look.  Aes Sedai would be rather ineffective if they could live to be 300 and age of 70 they were bed ridden from old age.

 

Maybe its just me but I don't remember a lot of Aes Sedai seducing people in the book.  Only the Reds really found men repulsive.  So it doesn't mean Aes Sedai don't get urges.

[agreddon]

22 hours ago, Sabio said:

When you might live to 300, 70 isn't that old.  Their bodies aging slow down with the agelessness look.  Aes Sedai would be rather ineffective if they could live to be 300 and age of 70 they were bed ridden from old age.

 

Maybe its just me but I don't remember a lot of Aes Sedai seducing people in the book.  Only the Reds really found men repulsive.  So it doesn't mean Aes Sedai don't get urges.

The issue is that according to reproduction 101, women are born with all the eggs they will ever have and they lose those eggs at more or less at a  constant rate.  That's not even dealing with the genetic problems of giving birth later on in life.  So unless they're cycles slow down tremendously we have a logic hole here.

[Sabio]

I think this shows we are running out of things to talk about.

[TheSociopath]

as for AS not really using looks/sex to get info... the entire Green Ajah, anyone?

[Sabio]

The green is about being ready for the last battle. how does the Green use looks/sex to get info?

[Wulf]

The yellow AS offers to bear the child of the Asha'man that semi-heals Rand of the dagger would if he'll show her how he did it.

[agreddon]

1 minute ago, Wulf said:

The yellow AS offers to bear the child of the Asha'man that semi-heals Rand of the dagger would if he'll show her how he did it.

Samitsu Tamagowa also offered Flinn gold as I recall, and we're not talking about the AS as bribers.  Point is I think it's a mistake to assume that all or even most are magical Mata Haris or shameless hussys.  Yes they may sleep with a man to gain knowledge and/or influence, but I don't think that's the default go to route with them.

[solarz]

12 minutes ago, Wulf said:

The yellow AS offers to bear the child of the Asha'man that semi-heals Rand of the dagger would if he'll show her how he did it.

 

Nah, that's only because Damer Flinn is irresistible to the ladies.

[TheSociopath]

12 hours ago, Sabio said:

The green is about being ready for the last battle. how does the Green use looks/sex to get info?

Do you really want me to go through all of the quotes about Greeens?

How Myrelle married all of her warders? 

 

I'm not saying that they trade sex for information, or even that they use seduction for information as much as pointing out the simple fact that many of them are often scantily dressed, and many of them are quoted as saying that they enjoy having men look. Or something to that effect.

[solarz]

43 minutes ago, TheSociopath said:

Do you really want me to go through all of the quotes about Greeens?

How Myrelle married all of her warders? 

 

I'm not saying that they trade sex for information, or even that they use seduction for information as much as pointing out the simple fact that many of them are often scantily dressed, and many of them are quoted as saying that they enjoy having men look. Or something to that effect.

 

I think you're confusing Green Ajah with Berelain and Birgitte...

[TheSociopath]

Just go back and look at any and all of the BA hunter POVs. Or those of any other prominent AS in the later books. Half the greens are described as wearing "deeply plunging necklines that exposed half the woman's bosam" or, they describe some other AS as "you would think she was a green," because of her neckline.