A MEMORY OF LIGHT -- THE LAST BATTLE THRU EPILOGUE 🗡
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Well I finally did it. Here's my summary of the Last Battle through the epilogue of A Memory of Light, book 14 in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and concluded by Brandon Sanderson. Wow. Video is kinda rough but welcome, all.
Glad you enjoyed the final book and the series! I kind of want to reread the final battle part again. I don't think I have it in me to reread the whole series RIGHT NOW, but I could definitely reread the last battle onward.
It's so utterly epic. And definitely would give me the feels.
When I was tryimg to interpret the finale with that *pipe* himself, I came across rarely mentioned Christian term "theosis". And I do believe, that it sums up Rand's journey perfectly.
Well done.
Always great to hear more/ new perspectives!
@@paulramen2535 thank you! I’m happy to join this community and finally see spoilers safely 😅
@@melanietahnaindeed, so now I can finally recommend you go watch my contribution to the WoT Idol competition from a few years ago☺️☺️.
It has been good listening to your takes on the series and if you want a deep dive I’d try out The Wheel Weaves podcast and of course The Dusty Wheel UA-cam channel.
Live in the Light
The characters are fun to watch as they interact and overcome each obstacle that arises. Their wins feel like our wins, their pain our pain. Or maybe that's just me immersing myself into the experience. I love the psychologies talked about involving light and dark and needing both options to give people free will. Only having one option doesn't feel very interesting. I too wish that the epilogue had been longer, but maybe the idea was that someday someone would extend the tale. Something about the WOT world really pulls me towards it. It would be neat to have more adventures there, as long as they don't scramble what's already been done. I appreciate your work in recounting the series and explaining how it affected you at various points. Well done.
@@FlyingPurplePizzas thank you for joining! I really connected with the characters as well. I did not expect the ending to make me so emotional, honestly.
Another interesting topic is... well, concept of time in Wheel of Time. One of the central motifs of the books is the integration of opposites, resulting in synergy, a result greater than the sum of these opposites. Two parts of the One Power. Another pair of contradictions is free will versus fate. Even though predestination and fate are a force to be reckoned with throughout the books, free will is still very important and critically necessary. Recognizing your “shadow side” is a crucial part of character evolution, taking them to a whole new level. This even works with entire cultures - the people of Two Rivers receive a new impetus for development by accepting that they are descendants of the inhabitants of the ancient state of Manetheren. The Aiel step towards realizing their destiny by learning en masse of their true backstory.
So. How can one synthesize such opposites as cyclical and linear time?
The Robert Jordan himself said about this: “the Greeks were the first, as far as we know, to think of time being linear which allows for change. Almost every other culture prior to them had believed in circular time, if time is a wheel there is no possibility of change. Whatever I change now, whatever injustices I correct, the wheel will inevitably return, the inequities will return, there is no possibility for change, therefore there is not impetus to change. So time and history are in a loop in this world, a large enough loop..ah…it is really quite immense.”
First, we note that this practically coincides with philosopher Jean Gebser’s idea that the perception of time as cyclical is a property of mythical consciousness, while the transition to its linear perception is already a sign of mental consciousness. In addition, let us note what exactly in the books stands out from the picture of “purely cyclical time”? Firstly, the characters themselves recognize the moment of Creation, when the Creator created the Wheel and imprisoned the Dark One. Secondly, Rand’s insight during his duel with the Dark One looks like this: “we are reborn, so we can do better next time.” This is also not at all like “there is no possibility of change.” The most obvious synthesis: if we imagine a spinning Wheel (cyclic time), and then add a vector (linear time) to it, we get (drum roll) a spinning wheel, or perhaps a spiral. Each iteration of the series is slightly better than the previous one, with characters in the series often learning from past mistakes and striving to do better in future iterations of the series, suggesting that progress and growth are occurring over time. Perhaps the cyclical nature of the universe leads to gradual progress towards... telos?
Well, Gebser’s concept of “freedom from time” inherent in integral consciousness reflects an advanced stage of consciousness, where the limitations imposed by a strictly linear understanding of time are overcome, which allows for a more fluid and holistic perception of reality. This integral perspective promotes a sense of unity and interconnectedness, where time is flexible and imbued with deeper meaning and coherence. Freedom from time implies an understanding of time where all moments (past, present, future) are accessible and interconnected. It is a state of simultaneity where time is experienced as a continuous, omnipresent reality, rather than as a linear progression or simply a cycle. It means living in a way that recognizes the presence of the eternal in the temporal, the cyclical in the linear, and the direct connection between the past and the future.
This is probably how Rand experienced his time during his fight with the Dark One. Perhaps, in order to break the cycle of bad infinity, one must not break the wheel, but go into a spiral riding on it.
Allow me to elaborate on Rand's journey. There is a few things to consider. First, It fits nice the proverbial Campbell scheme. The hero leaves the familiar, everyday world, experiences various trials, and returns in a new capacity. There is no point in criticizing this approach, especially since such a scheme is generally typical for high fantasy, and, moreover, “The Wheel of Time” is not only a story about how acts become a myth, but also a text that acquires the qualities of a myth. But let’s ask, just in case, “how exactly?” and let's make a couple of comments. A well-known part of the monomyth is the “reconciliation with the father,” followed by the moment of apotheosis. And it’s easy to guess what such a moment is - Rand’s acceptance of the “voice of Lews Therin” as an integral part of himself. But what kind of “father” does Rand reconcile with? Considering that in the Jungian quaternary, Rand would take the place of God the Son... with the Creator. This point is worth remembering, as is the fact that despite Rand's “purely human” origins, his moment of enlightenment on Dragonmount is suspiciously similar to the Transfiguration of Christ.
Then, considering that epilogue fits perfectly into what the classic monomyth scheme calls “Freedom to Live” (and “Master of Two Worlds” too), we must assume, that it also points to the Rand achieved new quality.
For now, let's take a step back and look at Rand's evolutions from the point of view of alchemical symbolism. As noted in an essay on the 13th Book Depository website, Rand is Hermes Trismegistus, thrice magician, as the ruler of matter, mind and spirit. He is the alchemical Adam who must correct the mistakes of the original Adam - Lews Therin. His evolution is the Great Work. The red phase of the Great Work is the final stage of transformation. The culmination of albedo leaves the alchemist completely free in a state of pure spirit and mind, beyond space, time and form:
Returning to the body, the soul can realize its state of spiritual fullness. Heaven and earth are then united in the alchemist... which is what happened to Rand. And I believe that it makes sense to take the last step, to combine all this under the term “theosis.” By the end of the cycle, Rand reaches the level of spiritual and magical power that allows him to change reality itself, and he gains a deeper understanding of the universe and his place in it.
This can be compared to the process of theosis, which involves similar enlightenment and transformation. However, while the theosis model usually culminates in union with God, Rand's ultimate goal is to defeat the Dark One and restore balance to the world, not to achieve divine union. However, Rand's final stages in the series do involve some sort of merging with the universe or higher power, as he becomes one with the pattern itself and gains the ability to manipulate it at will. This can be seen as a form of spiritual transformation, and it reflects the idea in the theosis model of approaching the divine or ultimate reality.
Moreover, Rand's development includes themes of sacrificial love and selflessness, which are often associated with theosis in religious thought. Rand's ultimate victory over the forces of darkness is achieved not through brute force or aggression, but through his willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good. This can be seen as a parallel to the theosis model's emphasis on self-emptying and humility as a necessary part of spiritual transformation.
Let's remember that Jordan was a Freemason, a member of a society that proclaims moral self-improvement and spiritual growth as its goals, and is also directly connected with the esotericism of the Hermetic tradition (alchemical symbolism!).
And the article “Theosis in Freemasonry” literally said the following: “There is no doubt, at least to my mind, that the striving towards improvement is an ever constant tendency in human nature.” Improvement, however, seems to suggest a goal, no matter how infinitely distant and unimaginable, which is perfected: if not, then there is an implicit postulation that the goal is beyond the yet imperfect. Within Freemasonry, this is variously represented: in the first instance, as the first step to be taken once one has been prepared 'in his heart' - a katharsis following metanoia, to use earlier terms - a wish to be restored to Light.. ".
@@TheNightrider88 okay this is fascinating and also I feel like it ought to be published somewhere!
@@melanietahna I'm really afraid that it would be too TLDR for many) Especially among fans of Wheel ofPrime show...
This was like reading the Last Battle all over again! Good job on this Melanie! You have a nice soft voice to listen to..I teared up again hearing Belas fate… 😢 a lot of emotions of sadness and of joy reading these books.. Olver blowing the horn was so awesome! Love these books!
Nice map behind you, something you made or had made?
Also the colonial hat is very cool…👍🏼
@@stevecanada4830 thank you! The map was a gift from my dad, and I have no idea where he got it but it’s awesome. And the hat was part of a pirate cosplay for a Brandon Sanderson convention, which was really fun.