One Power Questions

[Jagen Sedai]

I've tried to understand this for a while but the more I think about it, the more I can't understand it.

 

I just began a re-read of WoT and have taken in details of Nynaeve's experiences, as well as Egwene's first tries with the Power. At first everything seems to make sense as far as Moiraine explaining how the Power works. However, why is it there is no mention of the wonderful feeling of saidar? Why can't Nynaeve or Egwene from their first experiences sense or feel this? How they channel at all without seeing the weaves or feeling saidar? It seriously makes no sense!

 

Unless I'm missing something... so... how does it make sense to anyone else?

[Aiyen kin Leary]

My best guess is that some of this is RJ not having fully developed the rules of channeling at the time, some of this is trying to keep it somewhat mysterious. "Egwene stared intently at the candle and a flame sprang up" keeps channeling rather hidden from the readers, and RJ loved to hide things and only gradually reveal them, bit by bit. Also, they were in large part going on instinct at first. The same thing happens to Rand: his first time channeling mentions not a single weave just things like "he struck the earth and waves of earth rolled towards the trollocs." They didn't really have a sense of weaves, but their instincts could direct the Power to some degree nevertheless.

[Nightstrike]

It happens unconsciously - touching saidar and weaving. You'll just have to accept that it's the way it works if it had worked. It's probably up to psychology or something like that. Those that do it without being taught are probably doing it really fast, without really realizing it. Take it for what it is.

[Nightstrike]

Also, I've kind of imagined that those who are sparkers & have a Talent have a short-cut to the weave in question. Think of it and it happens, or something like that.

[Darth Krewl]

Good question.

 

No fantasy author who takes him/herself seriously should even begin to contemplate writing his story on the fly, without having developed their "magic" and all the rules and laws that apply to it, even before writing the first actual paragraph. This I know for a fact, believe me, so I don't think this is what happened to Jordan.

 

IDK the man's working process, but I do know for a fact that George Lucas, for instance, meant for Star Wars viewers to experience the Force through Luke's training process from the very beginning, just as if viewers were the learners themselves. So, I think Jordan took a similar approach. I'm pretty sure he had already developed all the rules and laws that applied to channeling, but decided to present it to the reader through the eyes of mere beginners (like Egwene, Nynaeve and Rand, 'cause we can't forget about saidin) to let us experience it through the characters' growth and development, just like Lucas did for SW.

 

An excellent way to tell your story, IMO, though he could've began by describing the feelings of power and ecstasy that tapping into the Source produces on the channeler, right from the start, w/o causing any confusion on the reader, sure. I don't see this as a mistake, but rather, as taking a different road to reach the same destination.

[Bizzie]

There's also the question of blocks for Wilders... Is it not rue that almost all people who have not had the ability to Channel unlocked have some sort of requirement that needs to be met so that they CAN channel? For example Nynaeve's anger block - where' RAND'S?! Or does it not apply to men?

[zshadez]

There's also the question of blocks for Wilders... Is it not rue that almost all people who have not had the ability to Channel unlocked have some sort of requirement that needs to be met so that they CAN channel? For example Nynaeve's anger block - where' RAND'S?! Or does it not apply to men?

 

 

...what? No, it is not true. Almost all people don't need to have the ability to channel "unblocked", only the wilders who develop blocks. Rand doesn't have a block. It applies to men as much as women, but Rand doesn't have a block.

[Exy]

There's also the question of blocks for Wilders... Is it not rue that almost all people who have not had the ability to Channel unlocked have some sort of requirement that needs to be met so that they CAN channel? For example Nynaeve's anger block - where' RAND'S?! Or does it not apply to men?

There's no law that says it has to happen. It's a sort of psychological defense mechanism that often develops in channelers so that they can avoid being aware of what they're doing. Nynaeve can channel when she believes she's just using really effective herbal medicine, or when she's angry enough to overcome her self-control. Theodrin can channel when she's too caught up in some boy she's crushing on to realize what she's doing. It doesn't necessarily happen with every wilder -- Liandrin made no mention of ever having a block. Neither did Siuan.

 

Rand didn't have years of channeling and learning to unconsciously control himself by the time he started learning in earnest, and so he didn't have to have a defense mechanism like that. It's definitely not just women, since at least one Asha'man is mentioned as having one (he can't affect anything more than a relatively short distance away.)

[dovien]

Seeing the weaves and being able to identify the euphoria are things that come with time and experience.

 

Have you ever worked in fast food? My first night in Burger King there were all kinds of things going on all over the place, none of which I had a handle on. I had to limit myself to concentrating on the one small piece of kitchen that was mine but, as time went on, I became acclimatised to the situation and progressively expanded my horizon until I could track everything that was happening in the kitchen at all times without even having to turn around.

 

I kind of think of it like that. Channeling takes up a lot of 'brain space' and you have to work up to it, handling a little more awareness each time until you can think in 'every direction' with only nominal concentration.

[mb]

There's also the question of blocks for Wilders... Is it not rue that almost all people who have not had the ability to Channel unlocked have some sort of requirement that needs to be met so that they CAN channel? For example Nynaeve's anger block - where' RAND'S?! Or does it not apply to men?

There is an equivalent for men. Taim told to Rand of some male channeler having a "bar"; forgot the exact scene.

Before the establishment of the Black Tower, Third Age channeling men had to have been wilders since there was no one to teach them.

 

And anger is not the only "block" for women wilders; I recall some woman telling to Nynaeve that hers was men.

[Whatsie]

The same thing happens to Rand: his first time channeling mentions not a single weave just things like "he struck the earth and waves of earth rolled towards the trollocs." They didn't really have a sense of weaves, but their instincts could direct the Power to some degree nevertheless.

 

Your point still stands, but your example is a bit off. It was Moiraine that did that. Rand's first channeling was when they first left Emond's Field.

EotW, ch 11: "With all his heart and desperation he silently shouted at Bela to run like the wind, silently tried to will his strength into her. Run! His skin pricked, and his bones felt as if they were freezing, ready to split open."

 

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