Channeling

[The winds of Time]

Ok I'm probably the biggest idiot on the forums for asking this, but we always hear that when someone channels, that they WEAVE the flows into somthing useful. How do you weave the OP? I'm pretty sure you dont take out a loom and start makin a rug in the middle of the battle, and the needle and thread ideal of weaving kinda seems slower. and what does a weave look like? is it like a rug in a sense? Comon guys enlighten me.

[Nelal Hurcran]

What, you never took Underwater Basket-Weaving 101? I would expect the two be be very similar.

 

All joking aside though (not really), I always think of it as more of a braiding of several Threads. some of the more complex weaves (Verin's compulsion) to bee similar to a very intricate knot of Threads.

 

PS.

OK I'm probably the biggest idiot on the forums for asking this

 

At the risk of sounding cliche: there are no stupid questions, or questions askers. There are only stupid answerers (is that even a word?...oh well).

[Man of MAdnEss]

I have pictured it two different ways, one for those that use motions and one for those that don't.

 

For those that do I picture a lot of finger, arm and hand, movments to construct the weave much like typing on the computer plus the final move, such as throwing for a fireball.

 

The other is more of a stare and visualization technique where the channeler doesn't need the hand movments to make saidar work as they want, they just direct it with their thoughts, because you don't necessarily need to see what you are weaving at, however that does help :P.

 

MM

[Papermache]

Certain, spells (so to speak), are more complex than let's say someone shouting FIRE! and a fireball appearing. Aes Sedai, or Asha'man, create threads of each of the five "elements" (earth, fire, water, air, spirit) in what I assume look like clear, watering threads, to an Aes Sedai/Asha'man, or fellow channeler watching them. These threads allow them to create the simplistics of channeling, and letting them direct it in the way they want it. So to create a fireball, so to speak, let's assume the channeler needs air and fire. So they create thread after thread of fire, and slowly (atleast in this example) braid three or so threads together into 'flows', which then are "woven" into a big ball, like a ball of yarn, not jumbled together, precise. The air threads in the meantime, are being braided, and woven around the ball of fire, to keep it contained. Now as they tie off that weave, and the fireball starts appearing (which would be instantaneous if I was not explaining so slowly), the thread together some more air to whack it, or blow it, or push it with enough force to make it speed towards a foe, or tree, or whatever the channeler is shooting at.

[Tyrell]

Interesting to note that the forsaken and LTT refer to it as "Spinning a web" rather than "weaving a.. weaving?"

[bjclinton]

What, you never took Underwater Basket-Weaving 101? I would expect the two be be very similar.

 

All joking aside though (not really), I always think of it as more of a braiding of several Threads

 

same here

[trakand_01]

Have you ever seen a basket weaver at work? Or looked at a Rattan chair? Its kinda like that. Or like weaving someone's hair (plaiting). You weave the threads in different ways and get a different outcome (weave the hair straight down you get a plait, weave them back on themselves you get a different shape... and so on) but in the case of the OP, they (and we're talking women here) funnell it through themselves (the bright light surrounding them  = they have drawn an amount into themselves and are using themselves as a container to hold it) and push it out in thin strands, then weave these strands together to create ... an outcome. Putting that strand of Fire on top there does that but putting it underneath there does that and so on.

 

That also makes it clearer when discussing slicing someone else's weave; if you imagine these weaves are like elastic being pulled from a taut elastic-band ball (they are the ball, the weaves are coming out of them as bands) and someone cuts those bands... what happens? It snaps back and slaps them, hard.

 

I dont think they HAVE to use their hands to channel, as it's all done from their mind (they dont physically hold the weave with their hands and push it around another one) but it will help them concentrate and give them a place from which to push the weaves out of their body. It is likely easier to bigger things do without using your hands as you get stronger. I dont think i've ever heard tell of Lanfear (supposedly the strongest female channeler) using her hands to direct the weaves.

[krelianzg]

The hand motions are just tradition. Once learned, they become an integral part of the weave and it is difficult to unlearn it, but they're not absolutely necessary in order to successfully channel.

 

Both the Wise Ones and Atha'an Miere use far fewer hand motions while weaving than Aes Sedai do, and they channel just as effectively.