In the series, the Wheel of Time is not the god figure, that is the Creator. It sounds like it is just a giant cosmic Wheel put in place by the Creator in its wiki article, but the common saying, "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills" suggests that it can think and act for itself.
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1 Answer
No.
This is confirmed by Robert Jordan in an interview (emphasis mine):
Does ta’veren-ness ebb and flow as needed? If Rand, Mat, and Perrin were all ta’veren growing up, it seems that the Two Rivers would have had a lot of odd events occurring, but no mention is made of it.
Robert Jordan: You might say that ta’veren-ness ebbs and flows. For one thing, remember that even for someone like Rand, the effects are really occasional, not continuous. Even when he is causing dozens of coincidences in a particular place, many more events pass off quite normally. For another thing, no one is born ta’veren. Rand, Mat, and Perrin only became ta’veren just before Moiraine appeared. You become ta’veren according to the needs of the Wheel. Like the Heroes linked to the Wheel, who are spun out as needed to try to keep the weaving of the Pattern straight, a man or woman becomes ta’veren because the Wheel has “decided” to use them as an influence on the Pattern. And, no, the Wheel isn’t sentient. Think more of a fuzzy logic device that uses feedback to correct what it is doing in order to do it in the most efficient way.
The saying "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills" is just that: a saying. Much as we might answer a question with "Goodness knows", without meaning that the attribute of goodness is sentient.
answered Feb 24, 2016 at 19:01
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2Excellent answer. But for what it's worth, I think the reason people started saying "Goodness knows" is that it's a euphemism for "God knows", which coincidentally kind of undercuts your argument. Commented Feb 24, 2016 at 19:11
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@DougWarren That's actually a good analogy. The Creator is sentient. The Pattern might be too (I'm not sure).– Rand al'Thor ♦Commented Feb 24, 2016 at 19:13
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@randal'thor Now that RJ's dead we may never know if the Pattern is or isn't. Let it be a mystery. Commented Feb 25, 2016 at 4:11
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1I think "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills" is more than just a saying. While it may not have a sentient will, it does have a purpose (a fuzzy logic device that uses feedback to correct what it is doing), and exerts pressure to guide the Pattern in a certain direction (even if that direction is circular through the ages). That is a kind of "will" even if the saying exaggerates the extent to which it is sentient. A more strictly accurate saying might be "The Wheel weaves as The Creator willed when it was put in motion", but that isn't as catchy– KevinCommented Jun 29, 2020 at 19:11