A Memory of Light

[darxbane]

That may have had an impact, as well.  The only reason I didn't put it in is that Saidin probably wouldn't have been affected by the explosion, although we don't know for sure.

There are several examples of the DO's power increasing.  reality itself is unraveling, people are spontaneously erupting into a swarm of beetles.  Ghosts are appearing all over the place.  It's becoming quite a mess.  It would only make sense that more powerful wards, and even combined Saidar/Saidin weaves will be necessary to counter the chaos now.

[Shaggy]

I don't think Elayne's explosion had much to do with anything. The way I think of it is that most of the thing's that happen with Saidar/Saidin/True Power can occur on two levels: the level of the material world, where only material things are affected, and the 'higher' world, where the Powers/Higher Beings are affected (or both, I suppose). I think Elayne's explosion was only on the material plane.

[Publius]

We're pretty sure Moridin was channeling Saidin, hence him saying he won't channel Saidin anymore. I still don't think the One Power and the True power are "opposites," the only difference i see is the DO chooses who gets to use the True Power and both men and women can use it. It was obviously part of the seal on his prison, from the PoV in Shadow's Rising.

So what is the True Power?  If it's not something different, or the One Powers opposite then what is it?

I was thinking for a while that maybe it was the third wheel of the one power.  Saidar, Saidan, and the True Power, but that wouldn't work for a number of reasons, the main reason being the DO would never have won because he would've battled with 1/3 of the power while the good guys had 2/3.

It also couldn't be JUST saidar and saidan combined because the DO decides who can use the True Power.  That implies ownership, and we know he has no control who can touch the One Power and who can't. 

That leaves me with this thought, that the Dark One is the bridge between saidar and saidan.  So when he allows someone to touch the True Power their actually channeling through the DO.  That would explain why they go mad faster channeling the True Power.

Before getting locked away, the DO threw back and tainted Saidan.  Perhaps the taint was a little bit of the DO, kind of like he got his foot caught in the door, so that male channelers were touching the DO every time they touched the One Power.  I think that is why he was still able to touch the world despite being imprisoned by the seals.

Any other thoughts about what the True Power is?

[Roberts]

I could be wrong, but my theory is that it had nothing to do with saidin and saidar, but is power drawn directly from the Dark One.

[Publius]

I could be wrong, but my theory is that it had nothing to do with saidin and saidar, but is power drawn directly from the Dark One.

That would be another possibility, but as was pointed out to me.

We're pretty sure Moridin was channeling Saidin, hence him saying he won't channel Saidin anymore.

It sounds like at least, saidar and saidin are part of it, but who knows? 

[JCHancey]

I've always taken them as 3 separate powers, the True Power is the "essence" of the DO, that's why he chooses who channels it.

[melbatoast]

We're pretty sure Moridin was channeling Saidin, hence him saying he won't channel Saidin anymore.

I thought that Moridin was channeling the True Power when the balefire intersected because Rand was unable to sense anything. I guess that Moridin could have inverted the weaves, but it doesn't seem likely that he would be carrying around some inverted balefire. Is it even possible to invert a weave like that? Anyway, I  thought the reason that he stopped channeling saidin is because he sees Rand whenever he does. Not to mention his addiction to the TP.

[Eerongal]

We're pretty sure Moridin was channeling Saidin, hence him saying he won't channel Saidin anymore.

I thought that Moridin was channeling the True Power when the balefire intersected because Rand was unable to sense anything. I guess that Moridin could have inverted the weaves, but it doesn't seem likely that he would be carrying around some inverted balefire. Is it even possible to invert a weave like that? Anyway, I  thought the reason that he stopped channeling saidin is because he sees Rand whenever he does. Not to mention his addiction to the TP.

well, rand sees HIS face when he channels saidin, I would assume it would go the other way, however moridin was channeling the TP during the balefire incident because rand recalls not sensing him channeling at all later on (which is our first hint that it was moridin). However, don't the forsaken mention at some point that he was channel the TP exclusively while he was still ishy as well? Because I always assumed that just carried over from ish.

[darxbane]

I believe you are right about Ishy/Moridin.  The Saa must eventually cause your eyes to light on fire like Bahalzaman's was.    The seal on the DO's prison was incomplete because only one half of the power was used to create it.  The Creator split his Power into two halves, while the DO keeps his power as one.  Because of this, both halves of the One Power are needed to counteract the full potential of the DO's power.  It is a balance.  We know the bore was originally created because of the desire to bridge Saidar and Saidin.  They discovered the DO's power and didn't realize what it was until it was too late.  I believe it is a safe assumption that the One Power is slightly more powerful than the "True" Power, which would explain why the creator could imprison the DO.

[Reaves]

I thought the fiery eyes were only in the World of Dreams? Also they could simply be a disguise, similar to the one pulled on that White Ajah Aes Sedai, the one who is second-in-command to Elaida? Forget her name.

[Eerongal]

I thought the fiery eyes were only in the World of Dreams? Also they could simply be a disguise, similar to the one pulled on that White Ajah Aes Sedai, the one who is second-in-command to Elaida? Forget her name.

After a quick bit of digging on google (information found on wotmania here: http://www.wotmania.com/theorypostdbtheory.asp?ID=1071&Category=Asmo )

In the latest Interview, in Hungary, Robert Jordan said:
“When you first begin using the True Power, there is nothing there, nothing in your eyes. After you have used the True Power for a while, you begin to have a black spot in your eyes when you´re using the True Power. The Saa becomes thicker and thicker. It gets to a point where you have used it so much, that you have steady streams even if you´re not channeling the True Power. At this point you are on the road to become what Ishamael was. You will get Fire Eyes. This is the ultimate level of the usage of the True Power. If you are not granted immortality, you are on your way to death. Not madness, but you are on your way to death."

[Reaves]

After a quick bit of digging on google (information found on wotmania here: http://www.wotmania.com/theorypostdbtheory.asp?ID=1071&Category=Asmo )

In the latest Interview, in Hungary, Robert Jordan said:
“When you first begin using the True Power, there is nothing there, nothing in your eyes. After you have used the True Power for a while, you begin to have a black spot in your eyes when you´re using the True Power. The Saa becomes thicker and thicker. It gets to a point where you have used it so much, that you have steady streams even if you´re not channeling the True Power. At this point you are on the road to become what Ishamael was. You will get Fire Eyes. This is the ultimate level of the usage of the True Power. If you are not granted immortality, you are on your way to death. Not madness, but you are on your way to death."

Nice! Now the translation of Moridin's name is making more sense...

[deathgate]

here are several examples of the DO's power increasing.  reality itself is unraveling, people are spontaneously erupting into a swarm of beetles.  Ghosts are appearing all over the place.  It's becoming quite a mess.  It would only make sense that more powerful wards, and even combined Saidar/Saidin weaves will be necessary to counter the chaos now.

That is a plausible explanation. I have thought that reality is starting to shift because of his increasing power. Like how rooms and passageways change in the Royal Palace of Andor or ghosts are no longer held in whatever realm they went to after dying.

[JCHancey]

here are several examples of the DO's power increasing.  reality itself is unraveling, people are spontaneously erupting into a swarm of beetles.  Ghosts are appearing all over the place.  It's becoming quite a mess.  It would only make sense that more powerful wards, and even combined Saidar/Saidin weaves will be necessary to counter the chaos now.

That is a plausible explanation. I have thought that reality is starting to shift because of his increasing power. Like how rooms and passageways change in the Royal Palace of Andor or ghosts are no longer held in whatever realm they went to after dying.

if by "his" you mean the DO then yes, it is his touch on the Wheel, beginning to unravel it, or something like that, it is a sign of TG i believe.

[TMan]

Interesting read

I think that after the last battle is won (which it very probably will be), Saidin and Saidar will be gone from the world, or at least, out of reach.

Why? First of all, there's a lot of technological advancement mentioned (cannons, better crossbow, steam engines), which clears the road for a world without magic.

Furthermore, Rand will want to prevent the DO from tainting the power again. It's my guess that he will use the power in combination with Nynaeve (or someone else, just to make sure we've got both halves of the power) to seal the DO.

Now, the DO will again slowly break free, so after about 3000 years people will get access to the one power again, enabling them to forget the technological advancement they had and battle the DO with the OP again Or something similar.

Anyway, I think the next age will be one without magic but with technology. I'm not sure how this fits in any surviving hero's that were previously able to use the OP. Probably a lot of them will go suicidal, but we know from this one woman in what's-it-called that you can survive without the OP.

Just my 2 cents.