Facts About the One Power
Last Updated on 3 June 2001
- The True Source is the driving force of the Universe, which turns the Wheel of Time
- it's divided into the male and female halves called saidin and saidar
- Saidin and saidar work with and against each other.
- collectively called the One Power which draws on the True Source.
- The One Power is divided into 5 powers called Threads.
- The Threads are named according to what can be done or manipulated with them.
- Earth
- Air (Wind)
- Fire
- Water
- Spirit
- Strength of Threads:
- All channelers usually have a greater strength with one or two of the Threads with a lesser strength in the other three or four
- a few have great strength with three Threads
- there have been none since the Age of Legends with a great strength with all five threads, and even then it was very rare.
- A strength in Spirit has been traditionally equal in male and female channelers; though there have been exceptions.
- Strength in Fire and Earth is traditionally a male strength; though there are exceptions.
- Strength in Water and Air is traditionally a female strength; though there are exceptions.
- Only Spirit can be channeled in sleep.
- A small number of all the people in the world can be taught to touch the One Power; an even smaller number has the ability inborn.
- 1 in 4 with ability to touch the One Power inborn will learn to control this on his/her own
- if the rest are not taught they will burn themselves out or kill themselves.
- Those who are self taught are called Wilders by the White Tower, and usually do not know what they are doing and have some sort of block that prevents them from reaching their full potential; if the block can be broken then they are among the most powerful Aes Sedai/channelers.
- Accepted in the White Tower:
- Normally takes 5 to 10 years to be raised from a Novice to an Accepted.
- Accepted wear the Serpent Ring only on the 3rd finger of the left hand.
- The White Tower requires the Accepted to take 3 Oaths before becoming full Aes Sedai:
- Speak no word that is not true.
- Make no weapon with which one man can kill another.
- Never use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in extreme defense of self or Warder or another Aes Sedai.
- The Amyrlin is elected for life by the Hall of the Tower.
- The Keeper of the Chronicles is elected for life by the Hall of the Tower and is usually from the same Ajah as the Amyrlin.
- The Hall of the White Tower:
- The Hall has the power to remove an Amyrlin and/or Keeper for extreme circumstances or troubles.
- The Hall of the Tower is the highest council (legislative body) of Aes Sedai with three representatives (Sitters) from the 7 Ajahs.
- In the Hall a Greater Consensus takes a minimum of 11 present, all present must stand, and at least from each of the Ajahs must be present except in the case of removing an Amyrlin and/or Keeper, the Ajah from which the Amyrlin or Keeper is from does not need to be informed until after the fact; a Lesser Consensus takes a minimum of 11 present but only 2/3 must stand.
- When a male channeler is Gentled the madness is stopped from progressing, but it is not cured.
- 13 of the weakest women can overpower 1 of the strongest men.
- Aging: begin slowing between 20 and 25 years old; the ageless look begins 1 to 5 years after being raised to the Shawl.
- Flinn said that the male healing hurts compared to the female healing.
- One Power channelers, particularly those strong in Spirit impose their dreams on others.
- Forkroot has the ability to deaden a woman's ability to channel; discovered through Ronde Macura.
- Nynaeve bridged Fire and Spirit to heal Stilling.
- A closet that opens onto a guard room in the White Tower holds many objects of the One Power; one will help Rand.
- The Waygates used to shine like mirrors.
- Sa'angreal are far fewer in number than angreal.
- In Bonding the Warder gains faster healing, can go long periods of time with out food, water, and rest, the ability to sense the taint of the Dark One at a distance. It does not tell them how far away nor in what direction their Warder or Aes Sedai is.
- Bonding was not known in the Age of Legends.
- Linking does not create a strength in the One Power equal to the sum of the individual strengths of those Linked.
- Male channelers can not Link without the presence of a female in the Link.
- A male channeler can not be forced into a Link.
- Females can only Link up to a circle of 13; a male added can take the circle to 26 females; 2 males can take the circle to 43 females; up to 6 males and 66 females is the limit.
- Except in the case of 1 male to 1 female, 2 males and 1 female, and 2 males and 2 females, there must always be 1 more female then males in a Linked circle.
- A male must control the Linked circle with 72 individuals, as well as all mixed circles with fewer then 13 individuals.
- The strongest Linked circles contain a near equal male and female ratio.
- A channeler (female) can recognize/feel another channeler at an arms length.
- Can not use the One Power upon self for restoration and is difficult to do so for other things.
- The more you try to touch the True Source the easier it becomes.
- A female channeler can not force the One Power.
- About Saidin: "Shadow is there between you and it. Madness and death." (tGH:15)Ba'alzamon's words to Rand.
- About Void/Oneness:
- Wrap around at all times to learn the full use and learn things not suspected (tGH:16)