One Power (The Wheel of Time)

The One Power appears in the fantasy book series The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan.

Basics
Reality is a Pattern of metaphysical threads, woven together by the turning of the Wheel of Time, which act as a cosmic loom. The Wheel of Time gains its energy from the True Source, an inexhaustible cosmic power source made up of two halves, saidin and saidar. The halves are opposite to each other, yet at the same time complement each other. Through mutual simultaneous cooperation and opposition, they make the Wheel turn.

Some humans possess a metaphysical access to one of the halves of the True Source, and can channel power from that half into reality to manipulate reality. Such people are termed channelers. Men can have access to saidin, while women can have access to saidar. Thus, saidin is known as the male half, and saidar as the female half, of the True Source. The halves have their own distinctive natures that determine their usage by channelers, and while they might share some similarities to each other, it only serves to reinforce how different they are from each other. Thus, channelers can only be taught by others of the same gender, never from someone of the opposite gender.

When channeling power from the True Source, the channeler use it to weave flows of the Five Powers; Air, Earth, Water, Fire and Spirit. Different combinations of flows produces weaves with different effects. Generally, male channelers are naturally strong and proficient with Earth and Fire, and female channelers are naturally strong and proficient with Air and Water, with strength and proficiency with Spirit being shared evenly. The natural strength, proficiency and talent an individual channeler have with each of the Five Powers might deviate from the norm, though.

Tools and Equipment
There exists items that were created by channelers with the One Power and that often is used in conjunction with the One Power, called angreal, sa'angreal and ter'angreal.

An angreal are objects which allow those who can channel to draw more of the One Power than they normally could without harming themselves in the process. The amount is dependent both on the strength of the angreal and the strength of the channeler. A sa'angreal works similary to an angreal, but on a much larger scale, multiplying exponentially the amount of the One Power a channeler can channel. Most angreal and sa'angreal are constructed with a buffer to protect the user from drawing too much of the Power, with only a few known exceptions.

A ter'angreal are objects of the One Power that perform specific functions. Some ter'angreal do not even require the One Power to be used for their activation, only their construction.