On Jedi Abilities
“All of you should bear in mind that while it often seems we use the Force to achieve our goals, it is ultimately the will of the Force that guides our actions.” – Master Luke Skywalker
There are many Force abilities that help Jedi in their endeavors. Of note, typically on the light side, we have: Force concealment, move object, Force push, burst of speed, Force light, battlemind, battle meditation, Force seeing, telepathy, concealment, healing, and more. On the dark side, we have such powers as: Force drain, Force rage, Force storm, Mind control, Sith alchemy, Force choke/grip, and arguably Force lightning.
I will not belabor each and every one of these abilities and their merits in the studies of Jedi or Dark Jedi. However, as a non-combatant, I will explain some of the powers I have used in my career in the avoidance of combat and lightsaber usage and the search for peaceful resolutions.
One of the keenest skills a Jedi can train and hone is sensing. All Jedi should be able to sense nearby Jedi, nearby disturbances in the Force (more often than not dark side manifestations such as Dark Jedi), and the life energies around them. Over time, almost every Jedi Knight and Master will be able to swiftly and accurately detect his or her fellow Jedi within a certain range and know of other Force expressions close by. Sensing emotion in sentient beings, pain and joy in all life forms, and the general Force pattern of an area (e.g.: if light or dark forces are at work) will be commonplace amongst the trained Jedi. Train your senses well and often, my friends.
Further sensing has helped me many a time. I have engaged in farsight and precognition, usually with aid from other seers in the order, and they have served me well. These are not as common in Jedi as other abilities, but do serve a purpose. Being able to know of extreme situations across the galaxy can help – knowing when a fellow Jedi Master is in pain on Coruscant when standing on Ruusan can help the two masters link up and recover.
Healing is an essential skill that all Jedi should learn, at least in small doses. Being able to apply healing to surface wounds in the absence of analgesics and bacta pads or being able to catch a second wind or recover from fatigue are key energizers in battle or in prolonged encounters. Advanced healing is not for everyone, certainly not to the levels that Masters Cilghal or Fey achieved. However, being able to calm an excited or extremely distraught victim, heal the severe wounds of combatants, and identify the cause of long-term afflictions have all been a rewarding talent with which I was gifted by the Force. Any who are interested or so inclined to learn the healing arts are encouraged to pursue this rare path.
Burst of speed and Force leap are great abilities for escape and pursuit. As you know, I am not a combatant and I avoid at all costs – I am not afraid to run away from an armed assailant in the hopes that I may find companions or otherwise a better way to defeat my opponent. And these two skills are in line for that very case.
The skills battlemind, battle meditation, and battle meld all have to do with transfixing the mind of yourself and/or others in the effort to focus on the battle at hand. I believe all Jedi should learn a bit of battlemind in an effort to bolster their skills in the heat of battle. While meditation and focus can give a Jedi a long-term edge, knowing the quick, instant-meditative battlemind can give him or her the sudden boost needed to win out.
After describing these more commonly-known abilities, I want to share with you a new power with which I have much experience and one that I have researched and meditate on much. I call this power Force Empowerment. Force Empowerment is the ability to use your own attunement with the Force and reflect that on others. This can be done with one person or many, but it is preferred and more efficient to be used on multiple people and groups. This can be a draining task, much like battle meditation, so do try to have someone to watch you afterwards.
Akin to battle meditation, Force Empowerment can be used to boost the focus and skills of a group of soldiers or combatant Jedi. But building on this, the skill can be used to increase the awareness of Jedi in a search, the intensity of learning in a training session, or the willingness to endure in an on-going campaign. It can even be used to ensure that political figures and decision-makers persevere in resolving galactic issues. I had used Force Empowerment, long before I understood what it was, at the Peace Conference on New Holstice during the days of the Jedi Alliance to ensure that all – or most, rather – parties remained and attempted to get through the conference in the hopes of peace and understanding. And I was successful.
Force Empowerment is an instantly used skill by the masterer, but its effects last hours or even days. Be wary as to its draining consequence, and be open to the self-healing and meditative-refocus that should undoubtedly follow. But the rewards of this power far outweigh one’s single fatigue in the extreme enhancement given to the masses. My greatest gift to the fighting Jedi is not to fight myself or stand by to heal, but to use this newly-identified talent to empower those around me.
There are many Force abilities that help Jedi in their endeavors. Of note, typically on the light side, we have: Force concealment, move object, Force push, burst of speed, Force light, battlemind, battle meditation, Force seeing, telepathy, concealment, healing, and more. On the dark side, we have such powers as: Force drain, Force rage, Force storm, Mind control, Sith alchemy, Force choke/grip, and arguably Force lightning.
I will not belabor each and every one of these abilities and their merits in the studies of Jedi or Dark Jedi. However, as a non-combatant, I will explain some of the powers I have used in my career in the avoidance of combat and lightsaber usage and the search for peaceful resolutions.
One of the keenest skills a Jedi can train and hone is sensing. All Jedi should be able to sense nearby Jedi, nearby disturbances in the Force (more often than not dark side manifestations such as Dark Jedi), and the life energies around them. Over time, almost every Jedi Knight and Master will be able to swiftly and accurately detect his or her fellow Jedi within a certain range and know of other Force expressions close by. Sensing emotion in sentient beings, pain and joy in all life forms, and the general Force pattern of an area (e.g.: if light or dark forces are at work) will be commonplace amongst the trained Jedi. Train your senses well and often, my friends.
Further sensing has helped me many a time. I have engaged in farsight and precognition, usually with aid from other seers in the order, and they have served me well. These are not as common in Jedi as other abilities, but do serve a purpose. Being able to know of extreme situations across the galaxy can help – knowing when a fellow Jedi Master is in pain on Coruscant when standing on Ruusan can help the two masters link up and recover.
Healing is an essential skill that all Jedi should learn, at least in small doses. Being able to apply healing to surface wounds in the absence of analgesics and bacta pads or being able to catch a second wind or recover from fatigue are key energizers in battle or in prolonged encounters. Advanced healing is not for everyone, certainly not to the levels that Masters Cilghal or Fey achieved. However, being able to calm an excited or extremely distraught victim, heal the severe wounds of combatants, and identify the cause of long-term afflictions have all been a rewarding talent with which I was gifted by the Force. Any who are interested or so inclined to learn the healing arts are encouraged to pursue this rare path.
Burst of speed and Force leap are great abilities for escape and pursuit. As you know, I am not a combatant and I avoid at all costs – I am not afraid to run away from an armed assailant in the hopes that I may find companions or otherwise a better way to defeat my opponent. And these two skills are in line for that very case.
The skills battlemind, battle meditation, and battle meld all have to do with transfixing the mind of yourself and/or others in the effort to focus on the battle at hand. I believe all Jedi should learn a bit of battlemind in an effort to bolster their skills in the heat of battle. While meditation and focus can give a Jedi a long-term edge, knowing the quick, instant-meditative battlemind can give him or her the sudden boost needed to win out.
After describing these more commonly-known abilities, I want to share with you a new power with which I have much experience and one that I have researched and meditate on much. I call this power Force Empowerment. Force Empowerment is the ability to use your own attunement with the Force and reflect that on others. This can be done with one person or many, but it is preferred and more efficient to be used on multiple people and groups. This can be a draining task, much like battle meditation, so do try to have someone to watch you afterwards.
Akin to battle meditation, Force Empowerment can be used to boost the focus and skills of a group of soldiers or combatant Jedi. But building on this, the skill can be used to increase the awareness of Jedi in a search, the intensity of learning in a training session, or the willingness to endure in an on-going campaign. It can even be used to ensure that political figures and decision-makers persevere in resolving galactic issues. I had used Force Empowerment, long before I understood what it was, at the Peace Conference on New Holstice during the days of the Jedi Alliance to ensure that all – or most, rather – parties remained and attempted to get through the conference in the hopes of peace and understanding. And I was successful.
Force Empowerment is an instantly used skill by the masterer, but its effects last hours or even days. Be wary as to its draining consequence, and be open to the self-healing and meditative-refocus that should undoubtedly follow. But the rewards of this power far outweigh one’s single fatigue in the extreme enhancement given to the masses. My greatest gift to the fighting Jedi is not to fight myself or stand by to heal, but to use this newly-identified talent to empower those around me.