We hear about the 'forced circles' when Seaine and Co. coerce Talene into withdrawing the BA Oaths in KoD.

However, stating that the a'dam is a ter'angreal with equivalent functions of a 'forced circle' is problematic.

That is, not only can the sul'dam seldom not see the weaves or know them for what they are, the sul'dam cannot even touch the True Source. The only ability they have through the bracelet is the ability to know the status of their damane, but also the ability to compulse feelings (mainly uncomfortable ones to be used as behavioristic controls) which makes it more akin to the traditional Warder bond (with the bracelet holder being the AS).

What if the Wheel uses the Dark One as a construct to destroy too much development - it must choose Dark ta'veren as well for certain purposes...

To peregrine:

The vines are also a creation of the Ogier stonemasons, meaning that the vines are stone-made not actually ivy.

Being stone, the angles of said ivy are slight and hint at roundness and are hardly very fine = gradual due to the WT's sheer size.

Is there any location to legally post this - I could always photocopy it...?

In response to Peregrine, the BWB pictures the WT as rectangular but with vines/ivy to round off the sharpness of the edges...The Guide is quite understandably known to have bad pictures, but I hope that answers your question.

I think most of the blame of the split can be simply put as the machinations of Fain.

Ultimately (and luckily), all worked out for the better -

Gawyn finally coming to heel (albeit a rather precarious heel),

Elaida in the hands of the Seanchan could give the Seanchan much of what they need to procure the Crystal Throne (if we are to assume that it is the actual throne rather the leader herself) and perhaps Fortuona's entire empire(or else how is Rand supposed to reasonably kneel to the blasted thing),

Siuan, Leane, Min and Logain escaped to perform their part in goading the rebel AS/setting up Logain as the counter-M'Hael of the asha'man/Min acting as a buffer between Aviendha and Elayne to allow for even the idea of the possibility for polygamy (if she and Elayne never had their heart-to-heart, perhaps Elayne would not have bid Aviendha welcome),

Galad's separation from the politics of the Tower ultimately sent him to the Whitecloaks, etc.

- however, as the time immediately after the Split was considered (civil) wartime at best, it is hard to consider the killings of his teachers as flat-out murder. I am pretty sure if it wasn't those two it would have been Gawyn himself, the fact is is that the only on-screen and pronounced killings (via Siuan's POV and post-stilling Healing) were done by Gawyn despite their being considerably more casualties than this.

We probably won't get the answer of who-is-who-reborn until after the series, but I thought Mat would be Aemon.

Completely unrelated,

Egwene is no doubt in my mind the rebirth of Latra Posae (Shador Nor).

Elayne is Ilyena.

I agree with Thras's approach to understanding Egwene in terms of her character's function in the plot as well as her development within that same plot.

In terms of character function, I felt that Egwene's development was being developed alongside Rand's - he started using saidin almost in the same couple of chapters Egwene started receiving proper training from Moiraine, both innocent - and it has culminated to the Field where both will face one another, both having their dire, most important epiphanies yet (Rand on top of Dragonmount, Egwene when she became essentially the White Tower embodiment). I find it hard to hate any character when you think about what the author means to portray with that character/'s reaction(s) in different scenes; however, it makes me at least realize that these different phases and the ups-and-downs in those phases are coordinated rather well with the other characters involved.