A question of balance

[MikeKweller]

In the matter of men vs women and The Power, it seems there is always balance. I mean, that's obvious, given how much RJ has quacked on about the subject in the books, but during a re-listen of the series, a question came up in my head that, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't been resolved anywhere.

 

Balance can be found everywhere. Men are stronger in Fire and Earth, Women are stronger in Water and Air, they're both equal in spirit.

Men can't link together, but they are, in general, able to hold more of The Power than women.

Women are able to link together, but in order to go beyond 13, they need to use men.

 

Those are just the few (obvious) examples I can think of off the top of my head. The question comes in when Egwene and Elayne are derpin' around with Rand and discover that Rand/men know when a woman is channeling, or holding the power because they get goosebumps or a shiver.

 

Elayne and Egwene can't sense when Rand seizes saidin.

So, what's the balance to that?

 

I imagine it's something obvious that I've missed, and if so, just knock me around and call me stupid.

Thanks in advance!

[Feral]

I believe there's a weave that women can use to detect that a man's channeling. And they seem to be able to see where the weave actually is. Or something. We see this in KoD, just before Romanda works out about Halima.

[MikeKweller]

I believe there's a weave that women can use to detect that a man's channeling. And they seem to be able to see where the weave actually is. Or something. We see this in KoD, just before Romanda works out about Halima.

 

You know, I thought about that, but the male sensing of female channeling is a passive thing- they feel it whether they're trying or not, while a woman using a weave is an active thing. Maybe that's it, you could be exactly right, but... eh. I don't know.

[Feral]

But as I said the women seem to be able to sense some of what the man is actually channeling, which men can't. It's all swings and round abouts when it comes to men and women channeling.

[Durinax]

actually i would say this is more of an adaptation to the hunting of male channellers than anything/

 

but it could also do with the circle things, to allow males the chance to figure out who the leader is

[Ashaman Ryel]

Men tend to be stronger but women tend to be more dextrous- is the balance.

I always figured that the balance to the goose bumps was the linking.

 

Men might be able to figure out a weave that allows them to get a 'sense' of what a women is channeling- the AS though seemed to think it a top proirity- the males probably haven't been bothered about it yet.

[LeeM.Erickson]

Men can't see a glow around other men who are channeling...and correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they can sense another man who can channel just by being in close proximity to them, either. I figured that's sort of the balance to that.

[OptimusPrime]

The balance to men sensing saidar being channeled is that women can tell if another woman can channel just by being in their presence, as well as their strength. A man has no such ability to sense other saidin users unless they are actively channeling, and can only gauge another saidin channelers strength based on what they are actually channeling at the time.

[Bob T Dwarf]

And, the women don't have anything I know of that lets them know when a man is channeling. What they do have is a weave that lets them read the residue after the channeling has occurred.

 

As far as I know, both sexes can do that.

 

Moridin for one, can tell not simply that a woman is channeling, but also see the weave. He is the one who watches Aviendha unravel the Gateway the women made when they went to the Farm to use the Bowl of Winds. He'd have to be able to see the weave to tell what it is she was doing.

 

I've always wondered if that wasn't a slight miscue by Jordan.

[OptimusPrime]

And, the women don't have anything I know of that lets them know when a man is channeling. What they do have is a weave that lets them read the residue after the channeling has occurred.

 

As far as I know, both sexes can do that.

 

Moridin for one, can tell not simply that a woman is channeling, but also see the weave. He is the one who watches Aviendha unravel the Gateway the women made when they went to the Farm to use the Bowl of Winds. He'd have to be able to see the weave to tell what it is she was doing.

 

I've always wondered if that wasn't a slight miscue by Jordan.

 

Well, I know Im in the minority in this, but I think the Dark One can possess True Power users, and that the Watcher was the Dark One looking through Moridins eyes. And that good ol Ba'alzy wasnt Ishamael having an identity crisis. Thats just what the others thought, and they dont have a clue because none of them know enough about the True Power.

 

But thats just me :D

[spoke]

And, the women don't have anything I know of that lets them know when a man is channeling. What they do have is a weave that lets them read the residue after the channeling has occurred.

 

As far as I know, both sexes can do that.

 

Moridin for one, can tell not simply that a woman is channeling, but also see the weave. He is the one who watches Aviendha unravel the Gateway the women made when they went to the Farm to use the Bowl of Winds. He'd have to be able to see the weave to tell what it is she was doing.

 

I've always wondered if that wasn't a slight miscue by Jordan.

 

Go re-read that part carefully. Moridin didn't see her weave, he had never seen anyone unravel a weave like that and then mused a bit before coming to a conclusion that she did unravel the weave successfully.

[Eht Slat Meit]

And, the women don't have anything I know of that lets them know when a man is channeling. What they do have is a weave that lets them read the residue after the channeling has occurred.

 

As far as I know, both sexes can do that.

 

Moridin for one, can tell not simply that a woman is channeling, but also see the weave. He is the one who watches Aviendha unravel the Gateway the women made when they went to the Farm to use the Bowl of Winds. He'd have to be able to see the weave to tell what it is she was doing.

 

I've always wondered if that wasn't a slight miscue by Jordan.

 

Go re-read that part carefully. Moridin didn't see her weave, he had never seen anyone unravel a weave like that and then mused a bit before coming to a conclusion that she did unravel the weave successfully.

 

Yeah, after looking it up, that's in TPoD - ch (Unweaving). Moridin sees the gateway melt and is baffled, wondering what the young woman had done and musing about how the "primitives" amaze him.

[Bob T Dwarf]

And, the women don't have anything I know of that lets them know when a man is channeling. What they do have is a weave that lets them read the residue after the channeling has occurred.

 

As far as I know, both sexes can do that.

 

Moridin for one, can tell not simply that a woman is channeling, but also see the weave. He is the one who watches Aviendha unravel the Gateway the women made when they went to the Farm to use the Bowl of Winds. He'd have to be able to see the weave to tell what it is she was doing.

 

I've always wondered if that wasn't a slight miscue by Jordan.

 

Go re-read that part carefully. Moridin didn't see her weave, he had never seen anyone unravel a weave like that and then mused a bit before coming to a conclusion that she did unravel the weave successfully.

 

Yeah, after looking it up, that's in TPoD - ch (Unweaving). Moridin sees the gateway melt and is baffled, wondering what the young woman had done and musing about how the "primitives" amaze him.

 

 

OK, good. Glad we got that cleared up. I was going by memory and it has been awhile since I read that passage. Thanks both of you.

[Mr Ares]

And, the women don't have anything I know of that lets them know when a man is channeling. What they do have is a weave that lets them read the residue after the channeling has occurred.

They discover a method to detect a man's channeling. It's in KoD - when Narishma is visiting the rebel camp they try out the method and sense his weave while he's holding it.