Be she warrior, healer, hunter, negotiator, advocate, knowledge-seeker, philosopher, or spy, the women of the Aes Sedai come in all different types. Which one fits you best? Find out by reading these brief descriptions from The Wheel of Time Companion, and let us know where you’d belong if you were raised to the shawl!
Blue Ajah
Righteousness rallies you to its cause, whether it is standing up against a bully, advocating for the underdog, or leading a protest movement. You wave your banner high against the injustices you see in the world and consider your beliefs the core of your identity. Helping others takes priority over anything else and sometimes it’s hard not to be too selfless. While people may think you can be stubborn and arrogant, you’re an ethical person who always strives for the greater good.
About the Blue Ajah according to the Companion:
“The main thrust of the Blue Ajah was involvement in causes. Along with the Green Ajah, considered the most passionate of Aes Sedai in their beliefs, the Blue Ajah were most open to being swayed by emotion. No Blue sisters remained loyal to Elaida, though some Blues stayed away from the main body of the rebels because of the distances involved. They were adamant in their belief that Siuan was deposed illegally and stilled illegally, and for that alone Elaida deserved to be pulled down.”
Brown Ajah
Keeping your head between the covers of a book, tucked away in a corner of the library, is your ideal way to spend a rainy afternoon. Or perhaps you enjoy tinkering with mechanics in your garage, or coming up with some (not so) mad science at the lab. Some may think you’re a space-case (and maybe a bit frumpy), but that’s only because you’re too busy thinking about the important ideas and histories that fascinate you. Knowledge is power, after all.
About the Brown Ajah according to the Companion:
“The main thrust of the Brown Ajah was gathering knowledge; they were librarians, historians and natural historians, doing nothing in the physical sciences or toward invention. The Brown Ajah had a ruling council. Its number of members varied from five to thirteen, though always an odd number… The head of the council was sometimes referred to as the First Chair; most often, she was simply called “the head of the council,” reflecting the supposed egalitarian nature and the rather loose structure of the Brown, where sisters often lost themselves in one sort of research or another.”
Gray Ajah
The Gray Ajah are best described as the “middle child” of the Aes Sedai: the compromisers who make sure that everyone gets along. You’re great at debates because your intelligence enables you to see all sides and to ultimately be fair in your judgment. Some who identify with the Gray can appear to others to be quiet or aloof, but that’s only because you like to think before you speak. You can also be quite tactful and are able to get along with anyone, as well as being adept with words and avoiding—and helping others avoid awkward social situations.
About the Gray Ajah according to the Companion:
“The main thrust of the Gray Ajah was mediation and negotiation. The Ajah was ruled by a council of varying number, but always an odd number. The leader of the council was considered by Gray sisters to be the head of their Ajah and was known as the Head Clerk, but in fact she had less authority than most Ajah heads and had to depend on gaining consensus among the council members.”
Green Ajah
You are the life of the party! Frequently identifying as social butterflies, people of the Green Ajah are known for their boisterous and flirty attitude. Fashion may also be important to you, and you never leave the house without properly coordinating your outfit and checking your hair in the mirror twice. The amount of care you put into your appearance, however, doesn’t undercut how seriously you take your responsibilities, and as easygoing as you may be, you can also sometimes act too bluntly.
About the Green Ajah according to the Companion:
“The main thrust of the Green Ajah was to hold itself ready for Tarmon Gai’don. It became known as the Battle Ajah during the Trolloc Wars. The hierarchy in the Ajah was rather military. The authority of the Captain-General, the head of the Ajah, was quite thorough and far-reaching. She was assisted by her seconds, the First Strategist and the First Tactician. Green Ajah members were permitted to bond multiple Warders.”
Red Ajah
The Red Ajah are hardcore, determined to reach their goals. You can be competitive and when it comes to any project, whether it’s business or pleasure, your attitude is, “Go big or go home.” While others may see your aggressiveness as a turn-off, you don’t care about what they think, generally hanging out with like-minded people. Team sports are one of your big passions, though you are also into activities that physically challenge you, like Wildness Adventure trips, rock-climbing, or running marathons.
About the Red Ajah according to the Companion:
“The main thrust of the Red Ajah was hunting down men who could channel. The head of the Red Ajah was called the Highest, or simply Highest, and considered the equal of the Amyrlin Seat by most Reds, unless a Red was the Amyrlin Seat, and sometimes even then. The Highest had autocratic powers of command, more so than in any other Ajah. At the time of the Last Battle, there were approximately two hundred members of the Red Ajah, making it the largest.”
Yellow Ajah
“Do No Harm” is what the Yellow Ajah live by. You identify with the caregivers and the nurturers of the world and instinctively seek to mend whatever (or whoever) is broken. You are quite a caring person, but no one should underestimate you or think you are weak. People who identify with the Yellow Ajah are champions for the injured and the sick, and will go to great lengths to protect them. Doctors, ambulance drivers, life guards, and field medics all stand under the yellow banner.
About the Yellow Ajah according to the Companion:
“The main thrust of the Yellow Ajah was the study of Healing, though what they knew, prior to the revelations of Nynaeve, was actually just a form of rough-and-ready battlefield first aid from the War of the Shadow. There were a number of ways to apply the weaves for different results, but in the main, they really were variations on one set of weaves. The First Weaver, the head of the Yellow Ajah, had, in many ways, as autocratic powers as those of the Green or Red. There were approximately 120 members just prior to the Last Battle.”
White Ajah
White Ajahs are the cold logicians of the Aes Sedai, and you may be seen as the ice queen by your peers. No matter—while everyone else spends way too much time and energy worrying over their mundane affairs, you dedicate yourself to higher thought. Religion or spiritualism isn’t your thing, and your bedside reading might include texts from thinkers like Martin Heidegger, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Graham Harman. While you distance yourself from the secular, ultimately, you see objective, unbiased truth as the solution to changing the world.
About the White Ajah according to the Companion:
“Sisters of this Ajah abstained from matters of the world and worldly knowledge, and instead devoted themselves to questions of philosophy and truth. Aside from the First Weaver, the head of the Ajah, there was no internal structure whatsoever… It was believed by many sisters in other Ajahs that the White Ajah was the only one without an Ajah set of eyes-and-ears and that they had no real interest in the world. This was not true, though their Ajah network was indeed small. Even the Whites—as a group, anyway—wanted to try to manipulate world events, along strictly logical lines, of course.”
Black Ajah
You may think of yourself as the black sheep of the group, the outcast. This doesn’t necessarily mean you are ostracized or even lonely—it’s just that you see the world in a unique way and choose to align yourself with the darker side of things. The world sees the mask you put on, not your secret self. Others may describe you as two-faced, but they’re the real fools. Instead, you remain true to your cause, even if it’s something others don’t agree with.
About the Black Ajah according to the Companion:
“A covert organization within the White Tower composed of sisters who gave their allegiance to the Dark One. The Black Ajah was about the same size as the Red Ajah, i.e., over two hundred members. They renounced the oaths sworn on the Oath Rod, and replaced them with three others (see Black Oaths). The Black Ajah had a cell organization of threes, called hearts; most members typically knew only two other members plus one outside their heart.”
This post originally appeared November 2, 2015 on the Tor/Forge blog.
The Wheel of Time Companion is available now from Tor Books.
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Diana Pho (or in other speculative lights, Ay-leen the Peacemaker ) works at Tor Books, runs the multicultural steampunk blog Beyond Victoriana, pens academic things, and tweets. Oh she has a tumblr too.
If I were an Aes Sedai (which would be a nice trick since I am male), I would be a Gray Ajah. In RL, I am an attorney who negotiates contracts. I often find myself trying to get my company the best position while creating the appearance that everyone ones (even where my company wins more).
Thanks for reading my musings.
AndrewHB
Brown Ajah, through and through. Although, I mildly protest being categorized as “frumpy”. :)
My gut check is Yellow, because for whatever reason I have always been drawn to the healer archetype and caring for life (Jedi healers, etc). But I know I have a lot of Brown, Gray (I tend to be the one in a group of friends that wants everybody go get along, tries to ‘see peoples points’ and run interference if it looks like people are at loggerheads…’well, I think what they meant was this, etc’…I like dialoguing and finding common ground) and a tad of White (I’m a big fan of objective truth, and sometimes my mom teases me about being a human computer/Spock. I prefer Data myself if we’re going to go with Star Trek analogies, partially because I enjoy his quest for discovering what it means to be human and blending the two aspects; logic and emotional). I don’t think I’m ‘hardcore’ enough to be white.
I’ve always wondered how the Yellow Ajah could go 2500 years without thinking “huh, maybe there’s a different way to do this”. The only Yellow sister we see trying a variation on the theme is whatshername, Cadsuane’s girl that heals Dobraine, and even then, all she does is lower the intensity of the Healing weave.
Once someone sees Nynaeve heal using more than Air Water and Spirit, they’re all like ‘huh, maybe you CAN use Fire to heal things’ and it’s just like, what have you been doing for the last 250 years of your life?
@@.-@: The fear of causing more harm than good probably halted experiments in healing. Yet you figure someone would be close enough to death to say: I don’t care about the risk! Try something different, I’m dead in a month anyways!
I started to wonder why the Yellows didn’t have “healing stations” scattered in every land. Your job is to heal. Yet you all stay in one spot and expect sick people to travel to you? Part of me would feel better if the team had run into at least one “traveling doctor Yellow.”
I am totally Brown. But often my research is about crafts or textile arts. So I like the “hands on” and experimental research. Not just the reading.
I would be Brown Ajah with a moderate streak of Green because who could not use a couple research assistants?
Seeking knowledge can be an adventure.
I’m a Brown and never ending is my search for knowledge. I would not call myself “frumpy”, but I care less than most about my appearance. Many thought I would choose the Gray due to my personality. I tend to get along with most everyone and have been known as a peacemaker. However, my love of obscure knowledge and record keeping (I’m an accountant) made the Brown my first choice.
I am Blue with streaks of Brown and White. I can get passionate about the most random causes (my friends have learned not to litter in front of me lol) and i love reading and gathering knowledge about the most random subjects, and have the cold dispassionate and emotionless logical moments.
and even being a male Aes Sedai i’d still have Warders lol. im a lover not a fighter but i’ll fight if i have to.
I’m obviously Brown (or an Ogier).
Definitely blue here. Very passionate about my politics and my beliefs and drive my friends crazy sometimes because of it.
I’m not sure if the survey descriptions match up that well with what is in the book, but Okay. By the way, the Head of the White Ajah is the First Reasoner, not the First Weaver. Cut and paste error?
I would be Brown, or maybe Gray, although I might have chosen Blue or Green if I recognized s*** was about to hit the fan. (By the way, her protestations otherwise notwithstanding, I always thought Egwene was a Blue through and through.)
There is no apparent network for Yellows to actually get out and do their job (in the original forkroot scene it’s mentioned they have the weakness web of eyes-and-ears), but they must have at some point done something right. Randland doesn’t appear to have any real issues with epidemics of infectious diseases.
I would be a blue with a good streak of gray and brown in me.
Yellow with streaks of Blue and Brown here. In RL I’m a physician.
@8. kingego, I agree, even as a male Aes Sedai I would have a warder(s) and I think the Greens may have some good ideas about them!
@12. HP I always thought Egwene was a Blue at heart as well
Gray and Green. Hard to say. Oh wait, I’m a dude so no worries, I can make my own club based on those two movements. Asha’man lead the way.
I always favored the green sisters (I cosplay as a green), but have some blue mixed in. The Aquamarine Ajah maybe?
There is a typo in the description of the white ajah, saying the head is the “first weaver” which is copied from the yellow. Isnt it the “first logician”? i hope it isnt like that in the companion
meanwhile i am probably a yellow
Brown, of of the “natural historian” variety. (And a fantasy bookworm, obviously). With a large streak of activist Blue and, non-proffessionally, some Gray traits. I’m intermittently obsessed with Shadowspawn, but in a Brown way, not Black. Through I always go for the villains, so…
Now I’m pondering which Ajah each of the Forsaken (iincluding the men) would fit into (aside from Black) if the system had existed back then.
Definitely blue. I identify with the Blues somewhat, but they have too many restrictions on them (no marriage, kids, only one warder). I think they all are dedicated to their particular causes, but the Greens seem to have the fewest restrictions, and still want to live life.
I think I’d either be Blue or Brown. I definitely “wave [my] banner high against the injustices [I] see in the world and consider [my] beliefs the core of [me] identity.” but also “Keeping [my] head between the covers of a book, tucked away in a corner of the library, is [my] ideal way to spend a rainy afternoon.”
I think ultimately I’d choose Blue, just because I want to be more active in causing change, but I’d be a very brownish Blue, with my mind far way a lot of the time.
Brown, totally Brown. Let me at those libraries!
I think I’m a Blue, with a streak of Yellow and Brown. I love healing because it’s just one way I can make the world a better, place, if that makes sense (I’m in nursing school)–and I love learning just for its own sake, but it’s not all I love. It’s interesting to read what others have said and the reasons.
Gray, I would choose the gray. I would consider the Brown, who wouldn’t love to hang out in a library with the smell of books everyday? However I am a diplomat by nature and I am always mediating some thing or another for someone.
I probably think about this more than I should.
I’m a Brown (English Lit), though I have strong streak of Gray and Yellow – I tend to offer perspective where it’s needed and am a nurturing person. While I care a lot about my causes, I do the advocate job as a writer, and perhaps I identify most with Verin, who joined the Black as a double agent, because I believe you have to be on the inside of a system to change it.
For all the detailed world building Jordan did, I think he really dropped the ball on the Aes Sedai. For the most part, it seemed that most Aes Sedai stayed in Tar Valon. But like @5 mentioned, Yellows should have been scattered throughout the land, healing the people. Gray Aes Sedai should have been a lot more prominent, especially as we saw most of the rulers of Randland. I understand Elaida attached herself to Morgase because of her Fortelling, but did no one think it odd that a Red Ajah Aes Sedai was attached to a throne? That probably should be the sole domain of the Gray.
The Green Ajah should have been doing rotations in the Borderlands, helping to fight Shadowspawn. How did they hold themselves ready for Tarmon Gai’don without actually doing any fighting? That Ajah really didn’t make any sense. And what did the Red Ajah do when not trying to hunt down male channelers? Why was it the biggest Ajah? Seems like overkill to me.
The Brown and the White are really the only Ajahs that should have a significant presence in the White Tower. All of the other Ajahs should have been doing stuff out in the world.