ajahppreciation

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(via TV Rights to The Wheel of Time Optioned by New Studio, With Jordan Estate’s Approval)

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I think about this a lot! None of the Ajahs are specifically known for being creative.

I suspect that because the Aes Sedai were meant to serve, and because the White Tower appears very monastic, creative and artistic pursuits may have been seen as indulgent. 

But pursuing creative interests and creating itself are both incredibly valuable. I’m on board with the Purple Ajah.

Isn’t it kind of weird how none of the Ajahs are really about actual channeling? I mean, Reds have to know how to gentle, Yellows have to know how to Heal…but that’s really it. I guess it’s just because experimenting with weaves can be dangerous, which is why the Tower itself is so mired in sticking to tradition and what-not.

imaseawitch and I think there needs to be a Purple Ajah that focuses on creativity.

I’m sure a lot about the White Tower was modified post-Last Battle.

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It’s too bad tumblr wasn’t around 10 years ago when I was still actively reading the series. (FTW you began the series when you were barely old enough to be a novice and now you’re too old to be an Accepted).

Back when I was around 18, I had a lot more fire in my belly. I got into politics and associated with a lot of people on the far left, hoping to change the world. Blue to the core.

As I got older, I grew tired of it. It’s all the same to me. Granted I’ll stand up for what I believe in; there’s no question about that. But I don’t want that life anymore. I don’t want the stress, and my body physically can’t handle much more of it. (Stress-related heart problems.)

Once I got diagnosed with ADHD and began taking medication, I got back into school at the age of 24 as an anthropology major. I’d known for years that I was wasting my time working in retail, but I knew then for sure that I belong in academia. I don’t belong in the, no pun intended, blue collar work force.

Now, 26 years old, I’m very happily employed at a historical archive and am very much enjoying my life as a student.

Constantly lost in thought? Check. Goes off on a tangent when some one mentions the right topic? Check. Nearly cried when she got to touch a 300+ year old St. Augustine anthology? Check.

Brown through and through.

PS, *spoiler* Verin joining the Black to “study them” was the single biggest Anthropologist thing I had ever heard of.

(Mod note-- I don't know how long this has been sitting in my inbox, so I'm sorry about that. Thank you for your story!)

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http://enchantedkingdomcreations.com/

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Read the WoT Companion entries for every Amyrlin Seat in The Wheel of Time!

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The symbol of the Aes Sedai in a Randland with a third section of the True Source, one accessed by non-binary people.

Saidin, saidar, saides.

I’ve heard ‘saidan’ for the non-binary part, but I don’t care for having the name just literally in between the other two. So I came up with a different word. Different vowel and consonant entirely.

And the idea is, while there are three sections of the one power, there aren’t just three kinds of channelers. There is as much variation in channeling as there is in the genders of the channelers.

A male channeler draws on saidin, but might channel from different areas of saidin, if you will, closer to saidar or saides. People with fluid gender will draw from different areas of the One Power depending on their current state.

If drawing on saidar is based on surrender, passiveness… and saidin is control, aggressiveness, then saides is not quite either. It’s about a kind of patience, sculpting it. You embrace saidar, you seize saidin, I like to think of delving saides.

I think of regions of saidin closer to saidar being ‘saidar-like’ and drawing indirectly on saidar, but still being basically used as saidin. There are regions of all three powers closer to the others that do the same.

But then on the cusp between the two, also called ‘saidan’, a channeler would be right between the two. I call the cusps saidan, saidis, and saider. Vowel of one, consonant of the next (going clockwise).

They would directly access either at will, or have only one connection that acts as a blend of the two actually, it would depend on the person. Some would go one way, some another.

All of this would make a lot of channeling technique a lot more complicated. But going into the WoT verse with this gender binary stuff doesn’t make any sense to me, so.

In terms of the five powers, saidar has water and air, while saidin has fire and earth. Saides, then, has spirit, though it’s closer to water and earth than fire and air. 

Part of learning to channel would probably be experimenting with how you actually get to the True Source. What balance of the different techniques fits you. And it would probably surprise a few people, what that says about them.

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Ajah Question #3

How do you reflect your Ajah in everyday life? For example, do you wear a lot of one color? Do you try to act more impartial or logical? Do you spend a lot of time doing a particular activity? How do you live according to your Ajah?

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Choosing an Ajah

Part Eight: The Modern White Ajah

I like to use logic in order to reason out the best way to create a solution that is beneficial for the most people possible in the most efficient way. --aldieb

Purpose: Members of the White Ajah are seekers of logic and philosophy, forsaking other passions in a search for the truth.

The Typical White: It is said that Whites are emotionless and detached. Any real contact with a member of this Ajah, however, will reveal otherwise. Whites tend to be deeply passionate when it comes to truth and logic, and can lose themselves for hours in a puzzle. They do have emotions, and they do have the capacity to feel deeply about issues, but they prefer to put aside their personal feelings so that they may approach a problem without bias. Members of the White Ajah tend to be very intelligent and intellectual. They do not involve themselves in worldly issues to the degree that most other Ajahs do, instead preferring to look at these problems as issues of philosophy. They are more interested in the “why”—“Why does this problem exist?”

Strengths: Members of the White Ajah can be counted on to find sensible, levelheaded solutions to seemingly impossible problems.

Weaknesses: Even if a White does feel passionate about something, they will not show it. This can cause personal relationships with members of the White Ajah to be frustrating.

Career Examples: Programmers, Linguists, Data Analysts

I’m not focused around facts… but rather the bigger picture and the satisfaction of solving a problem correctly. --nonbinaryvin

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I suddenly got a bunch of new followers yesterday. Tell me about your Ajah, newcomers!

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Blue ajah breakdown for actual-rand-althor

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Choosing an Ajah

Part Seven: The Modern Gray Ajah

“To me, the Gray represent communication and connection, the importance of listening and trying to understand each other. Also, the Gray minimize unnecessary conflict and that means harmony to me.” –tarvalonwitch

Purpose: The Gray Ajah is an Ajah of mediators and peacemakers. They seek harmony and consensus between all people, seeking to find solutions that have the greatest benefit for everyone involved. Grays offer aid to all disputes, be it a major political issue or a local dispute.

The Typical Gray: Members of the Gray Ajah are the most politically involved. If Reds and Blues are the people campaigning for an issue on the street, Grays are the ones speaking to the government directly. In their eyes, the best way to stop conflict is to make sure it never happens in the first place. Their goals are consensus, harmony, and compromise. They are diplomatic and unbiased. Even heated opponents can always count on a Gray to be trustworthy and fair. They are also very studious and intelligent, often committing various sets of laws, customs, and history to memory—of course, as the law changes, the Gray Ajah adapts. In fact, influential Grays are often the ones creating and changing laws in the first place.  

Strengths: A levelheaded Gray will often find their friends seeking them out for counsel, and they can be trusted to give honest and wise opinions.

Weaknesses: Members of the Gray Ajah can try so hard to be impartial that they may have difficulty choosing sides, and may alienate others by playing devil’s advocate in inappropriate situations.

Career Examples: Politicians, Diplomats, Judges, Counselors

“I really hate to see people arguing, and I would love to learn to mediate conflicts better than I do now.” -- ailavyn-siniyash

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I'm rather torn between blue and red, since they both share multiple characteristics. I am male, though, which initially made me a little nervous about the red... Though your post about both makes me lean more towards red.

This is a great thing to bring up— Blue and Red are quite similar and one has to wonder where to draw the line between them. Obviously other people may see this differently, but for me (a Blue), it’s a matter of extremity. I feel that Blues tend to sort of dabble in lots of issues, while Reds will be more likely to have one or two issues that are particularly close to their heart. Blues will see a problem and think “I need to make sure everyone is aware of this so we can stop it.” Reds will think “I need to personally step in and take action.” A Red would be more willing to alienate people or go to jail for their beliefs. A Blue will prefer to be diplomatic. I think Blues and Reds can (and should!) make great teams— sort of the good cops and bad cops of justice.

Any other Red or Blue brothers and sisters want to weigh in on this?

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Choosing an Ajah

Part Six: The Modern Brown Ajah

“It's good to remember that even whenyou're interested in research and theories and tiny details, you can still make a real difference!” –Unicornziva

Purpose: Members of the Brown Ajah are seekers of knowledge. Browns are scholars, researchers, and explorers, constantly on the lookout for new information simply for the sake of having it. To the Brown Ajah, knowledge truly is power.

The Typical Brown: You will most likely find a member of the Brown Ajah with her nose in a book, though they may just as well be taking a class or browsing the internet. Browns find value in all knowledge, be it practical, personal, or even fictional, and they enjoy finding ways to link these fields of knowledge to each other. A Brown is never selfish with their knowledge, though. They love to share what they know with others, and are most energized in a group of like-minded people. Many think of them as dreamy and unaware of their surroundings—however, many Browns are aware of this view and use it to their advantage. Browns do not generally put much thought into mundane things like their appearance, and may have very irregular sleeping schedules—learning doesn’t have to end just because the sun is down!

Strengths: A Brown’s knowledge is rarely limited to one topic, so they can be very versatile, providing valuable insight into any situation.

Weaknesses: Members of the Brown Ajah can be very withdrawn and introverted, preferring their books to real life.

Career Examples: Researchers, Teachers, Historians, Scientists

“I love learning, I love knowledge for knowledge’s sake and I believe that education is best way to better the world.” --grey-gryphon

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My fiancé is incredibly White Ajah and I'm incredibly Blue Ajah. Sometimes this creates problems.

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Choosing an Ajah

Part Five: The Modern Green Ajah

“As emotional as some can get, it’s a controlledemotion, backed by a desire to to what is good and right, not just for their goal, but for the whole.” –shiningshadow2121

Purpose: The Green Ajah is also known as the Battle Ajah. Their purpose was to stand ready for the Last Battle, and today they still stand ready to protect and guide others.  Greens tend to make excellent strategists and leaders.

The Typical Green: Members of the Green Ajah are warriors, though this can be literal or figurative. Loyal and honest, they constantly train to better themselves, and tend to be outspoken and direct. They prefer structure and appreciate good planning. Despite this, a Green can be very feminine—they are known for taking great pride in their appearance, sometimes to the point of flamboyance. More than any other Ajah, Greens are known for their penchant for romance.

Strengths: Known to be trustworthy, Greens are capable of motivating and inspiring the people around them.

Weaknesses: Despite their discipline, Greens often misjudge the severity of their problems—they may overreact to a situation, or, alternatively, not take it seriously enough.

Career Examples: Military, Athlete, Personal Trainer, Security

“I like protecting people and sometimes it takes a bit of strength to do that.” –minanoe

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3/14/15

Ajah Graph: 3/14/15

Looks like things are starting to even out a little.

It’s not a perfect representation because if someone was torn between two ajahs, I included them in both.

I had 58 responses for a total of 67 data points.

Red: 4/2 Yellow: 7/2 Green: 6/4 Blue: 9/5 Gray: 4/2 White: 5/1 Brown: 14/2

*First number indicates people who selected only one Ajah. Second point is the number of people who were torn between that Ajah and one other Ajah.*

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I'm a guy but I want an Ajah shirt. Any ideas?

Unfortunately, it looks like Ta’veren Tees only has the Ajah shirts in ladies sizes. 

However, minnielikes has Ajah shirts in her Society6 store! It looks like they’re available in all sizes, lots of different color options, tank tops, hoodies, etc. I bought one for myself just a couple days ago!