True Circles

[jemron]

During my re-read (I'm currently re-reading aCoS) the "Watcher" (most likely Moridin) appears. He's spying on Sammael and Graendal as they trick Sevaanna and the Shaido Wise Ones. Anyway, the watcher thinks to himself that maybe he should go back to the clearing where the 7 Wise Ones are and kill them all, then he thinks to himself "he doubted they knew how to form a true circle."

 

So, my question is: What is a "true circle?" Is it just a normal circle, or is it something related to the True Power? I got the impression that Moridin was actually momentarily concerned that maybe they could overpower him, even while using the TP.

 

I admit, I don't have my books with me at the moment, so I can't remember how many Aes Sedai are required to create a circle, but I thought you needed at least 13 for a "full circle" or some such. So, it's interesting to me that Moridin thinks they could make a "true circle" with just 7 of them.

 

Thoughts?

[Luckers]

This is a reference to a Link--the Aiel did not know how to link until Egwene showed them. Moridin would have been aware of this.

 

As for singling it out as a 'true circle', and therefore implying there are other types of circles... according to RJ there were two ways to shield someone--a genuine link, and a method of layering shields. Here are his exact words...

 

As a curiosity, it is also possible for multiple people to hold a shield without linking, but this is less strong and less precise, producing basically a layered shield.

 

[The Path of Daggers book tour 24 October 1998 - Justin Howell reporting]

 

Given the context I'd say this is why Moridin made the destinction of a 'true circle'... he was considering whether the Wise Ones were a threat. They could form an imperfect circle, a layering of their power, but given they did not know how to truly link, to form a true circle, they weren't much of a threat.

[jemron]

Thanks for the response!

 

So, has RJ ever confirmed whether or not a circle or linked group can stop both saidin and the TP? Obviously Moridin was concerned, but how would they have even been able to sense he was using the TP, let alone saidin?

[Val Mickey]

This is a reference to a Link--the Aiel did not know how to link until Egwene showed them. Moridin would have been aware of this.

 

As for singling it out as a 'true circle', and therefore implying there are other types of circles... according to RJ there were two ways to shield someone--a genuine link, and a method of layering shields. Here are his exact words...

 

As a curiosity, it is also possible for multiple people to hold a shield without linking, but this is less strong and less precise, producing basically a layered shield.

 

[The Path of Daggers book tour 24 October 1998 - Justin Howell reporting]

 

 

It probably has been discussed before, but does this have parallels to the Sealing in the previous Age?

[Luckers]

That seems to be precisely what occurred with the sealing.

 

As for the TP--a shield will stop someone from channeling the True Power, so yes.