Greenseer/Weirwood Sacrifice Theory

[David C. Hunter]

First post, I think, in 5 years or so. Woot. 

 

Anyway, I never really liked any of the theories about how the COTF and humans mated or the Humans mated with the Others, or humans mated with Giants or Dragons, Old Ones, Deep Ones, etc etc etc. 

It just always felt forced and like a deliberate red herring/misdirection. To me at least. 

I also am of the mind that the weirwoods are at the center of all magic on Planetos. Or rather, more accurately, I feel as if magic exists in the nature/fabric of this world, but the ability of individuals and bloodlines to "wield it" is through the interaction of the weirwood and only the weirwood. 

But genetic manipulating, crossbreeding and engineering was a clear thing for the most hinted at sorcerer-like cultures, ala Dawn Empire, Valyria, Others etc.  Yet, I do not think there were any sexual relations that led to mix-gene offspring without the aid of mad scientists. If it is already stated that the Ibbenese (Dwarves) cannot mate with the humans of the mainland, without producing "sterile" sickly/deformed children who die soon, how can humans mate with any of the other Elder Races? And even if they did, how could they produce offspring? 

Yet, despite all of this, it Is clear that the First Men and Crannogs share blood with the COTF. It is also implied that the Starks have some DNA connection to the Others. And the Valyrians (As well as their Amethyst ancestors of the Dawn) have the blood of the Dragon. So, WTH? 

 Well, I believe that skinchanging is at the heart of this question and that humanity's initial connection to the weirwood is what allows this. 

We learn in the 5th book that for wargs/skin changers, the longer you stay in the mind of the animal you bond with, the more you lose yourself. Jojen warns Bran all the time, "don't stay too long or you'll lose yourself." When we think of the Starks, we immediately think of Direwolves. But the bond between the two is more than pure aesthetics. They share similar traits. The Starks are big on pact mentality like wolves. Some are said to have short tempers and called "wild ones" which lends many to say they have "wolf blood". The Starks also seem to have some tolerance for Cold Weather as well. So, these shared traits between man and wolf are more than a clan trying to imitate a successful species. There is a more metaphysical bond between that ties their blood together. 

So, clearly the Starks did not mate with the Wolves, but like the COTF who are wed to the weirwood, the Starks mated/wed the Wolves on an astral plane/level and because they did this for an endless amount of years, they grew to share similar behaviors and traits between their two species. 

BUT, the ability for the Starks to warg Direwolves (or anything else) in the first place is because their ancestors had to have entered the weirwoodnet. The place where skinchangers and greenseers gain and enhance their abilities. Somehow, some way the human race (First Men) gained access to the Weirwoodnet, which is the hardware that connects the world to the Gods and their Fires. It is why the COTF worship the trees, but even before the Greenseers of the COTF went into the weirwoodnet, the weirwood/net still existed. In other words, the COTF did not create the weirwoods, their power or hard drive. But merely discovered it, worshipped it and joined it in death. 

Now, it is one thing to enter the weirwoodnet, but it is another to leave the weirwoodnet with it's abilities. Is there a way for someone to enter the hard drive of the net, and download the software/powers of the net into an external human hard drive? Well, the COTF certainly have done it, as well as the humans at a later date. How? Well, we are seeing the potential answer to our Question right now. Is Bran going to stay in the Greenseer cave forever? Or will he download the information and take it with him south? According to the show, Bran eventually leaves, and since the epic scene of "Hold the door" seems to be a said given to DnD from George Martin himself, it is safe to say that Bran will download the information given to him from a conduit attached to the net (Bloodraven) and "now" shares the abilities of said weirwoodnet/conduit. In short, it is now in his blood. Granted, he had these abilities already, but after reattaching to the weirwoodnet, he seems to have the latest installment/update. (A lot of software talk, but George is a Sci-fi guy predominantly)

Once again, I remind you, that if you stay too long, eventually the traits of the beast you are "invading" will eventually start to rub off on you. Same goes for the weirwoods, apparently. But so far, we have talked about the transfer of behavior traits, attitudes and now, magical abilities. Could it really be so simple to suggest that COTF and First Men have the magical abilities of the weirwoods because they spent a lot of time within the weirwoodnet? 

Well, considering how a millennia of warging into Direwolves have turned the Starks "very" wolflike, and considering how every skinchanger is wanred not to spend too much in the skins of their animals, because they can lose themselves, and considering that they warg bonds already share the same tastes, desires, emotions, pain and fears together e.g. Varmyr Sixskins, it is safe to assume that COTF and the First Men have the abilities of Skinchangers and Greenseers because they spent a lot of time slipping into the skins of various weirwoods/net. Afterall, the Weirwoods are the ones that are timeless, can see the past and are bonded with all animals/nature. All the First Men and COTF were doing was slipping into the skins of the weirwood, downloading the abilities and slipping out again. (More on the slipping out phase in a bit) 

BTW, this is not reserved to Beasts and Trees, but as well as other people and races

NOW, here is the section that made me want to write about this theory: If skinchanging is the basis for First Men and other Elder Races for receiving the behaviors, personalities, cultures and magical abilities of beasts, trees and humanoid races alike....what about their physical appearance and biology??? Is there any evidence for this? Oh yes, a ton.

Starting with, the:

A. Weirwood: Any presumed bloodline attached to the weirwoodnet can potentially spawn individuals with red or green eyes, which shows their connection.

-Bloodraven has been entering the weirwoodnet nonstop for decades, now he has taken on the form of the tree himself, barely indistinguishable from it. His skin was already pale (which could show he was chosen by the weirwood  from the start). Red eyes too, of course, like the bloody eyes carved into the trunks of the weirwood. The same goes for any of the First Men clans as well. Since I theorize that Bran will eventually download the weirwood data and upgrade his abilities, his eyes may in fact become red or green (probably green imo, after all, he did drink the blood of his green-eyed friend)

-COTF look like the trees/nature themselves with nutty skin tones. Some look like deer, some look like squirrels, some look like cats, etc. Which makes sense, because COTF have been warging into the beasts of nature for a million years. So, it makes sense that they would take on the traits, abilities, personalities, behaviors and appearances of the trees as well as the beasts. 

-There are almost too many pale women with red hair, resembling weirwoods in ASOIAF: Melisandre, Catelyn Tully, Ygritte, etc etc etc (Also makes it no surprise then that Catelyn is brought back to life and Melisandre is hundreds of years old without aging, glamor or not...like the weirwoods)

B. Undying Ones: Have been drinking Shade of the Evening forever, which is connected to the Black-Barked Trees(like the weirwood paste is to the weirwoods), which seems to have the inverse, yet same magical abilities as the weirwoods. And presumably, like the black barked trees, the Undying Ones can see the future and show illusions. Also like the trees, the Undying Ones are virtually immortal/timeless with violet blue flesh and apparently were "eating" Dany's lifeforce, like a blood sacrifice. Just like it is hinted with the weirwood. 

C. Valyrians: Seem to actually have the blood of the Dragon, as well as an alien beauty, dragon-like deformed babies, heat resistance (somewhat) as well as the tempers, violence, unpredictability and the ability to Dragon-bind in the first place seems to hint at this as well. The violet eyes, pale skin and silver hair that seems to be byproduct attributes of "Dragonbinding" I feel like will be explained later (Yes, I also think Dragonbinding is tied to the weirwoodnet - tied to the Dawn Empire) 

D. Crannogs: Basically look like the human version of the COTF, and who often have green eyes. Many think that is because that ancient First Men mated with the COTF. This again. If this is true, than the shared abilities, behaviors, magic, traits and physical attributes are not because they had sexual intercourse, but bonded on an astral level. I.e. there's a good chance that these two cultures merged over the years via slipping into the skins and minds of each other. Now, whether this was a sign of a pact/endearment or mental warfare, I cannot guess. Tied to the weirwood too of course

E. Wights: Carry the blood, eyes as the Others. Don't feel the heat (I mean they're dead) and seem to share a hive mind. 

E. The Others: …...More on this later 

 

This is also gives a sliver of reasonings as to why certain groups of people have a "look" that they cannot seem to shake for thousands of years despite how unrealistic that seems: The Starks, Baratheons, Tullys, Valyrians, Targs, Lannisters, etc etc etc. 

This is also why Sigils in Westeros are so important, because it can easily point to the original abilities and connections of their bloodlines. Is it a coincidence that Bloodraven, a pale greenseer who was skinchanging into crows/Ravens long before he became attached to the weirwood blood comes from House Blackwood that is a weirwood covered with crows/ravens? No. Bloodraven was chosen. Marked, just like the COTF always assumed. 

In that same vein, is it a coincidence that Jon Snow, the Song of Ice and Fire receives the only Wolf that looks "exactly" like a weirwood? (red eyes, white fur) that was sent to him by that same weirwood (Bloodraven/Gods) and was made to be mute(and white), thus enticing Jon Snow to name him "Ghost" which is comical because it seems like his "ghost" will reside in him following his ominous death? Yeah, there are no coincidences, especially coming from a tree god(s) that can see the past, present and future. 

This also makes me believe that when Jon Snow is resurrected, he would have spent a much longer time than is recommended within his weirwood connected direwolf, which will change him behavior-wise, ability-wise and of course, physically. When Jon awakens he can potentially have white hair, red eyes, be a lot more savage and silent. Which of course, are the traits of his wolf, which of course, are the traits of the weirwood. Which of course is what this story is all about. 

It is no coincidence that all Stark children are wargs, and it is no coincidence that all (who survive) undergo types of sleep, dreams, comas or death (hahah) whioch causes them to use their 3rd eye, which is connected to the weirwoods through ancestry and help awaken their powers. They were chosen by the Gods, and the Gods sent them direwolves in order to help them awaken their powers. Direwolves are like wifi routers that help the Starks come online....Im serious, haha. 

The COTF believed that eye color indicated being "chosen" by the Gods. This isn't the ramblings of a primitive species. It's just the truth. 

Anyway, to be clear, I think we need to recognize that the weirwoods "are" the Godhead and thus "are sentient" and thus "do listen, see and meddle in the world of Planetos". And since the godhead is indeed made up of all powerful greenseers, what we are basically witnessing when see someone born with red eyes, green eyes or magical abilities, is in short, greenseers within the weirwoodnet, slipping into the skin of their chosen individuals who have blood ties to the weirwoodnet (Very important). Since singers and dead singers reside within ALL beasts in Westeros, you can look at nature, especially the beasts who have a history of warg-bonding as wifi-adapters. 

For a specific example, look at Jojen Reed. He was born with moss colored eyes because Bloodraven essentially slipped into this skin. This is made clear because Jojen isn't really a greenseer. He has green dreams that Bloodraven "forces" upon him, including showing him future events, what he needs to do, where he needs to go, even his death! It wasn't a 1 in 100 or 1 in 1000 chance. It was deliberate, because that is what skinchanging is. It is an invasion of a mind in order to make it your thrall. In short, slavery. Now, with lesser beasts it seems to be abandoning of sorts, but trying to skinchange into an elder race or another human is a taboo up there with guests rights and kinslaying. Just look at what Bran does to Hodor, a simple fellow. Look how it is hinted at for leading him to his death. Look at what Varmyr does to the lady he tries to invade. 

 

So Blood Sacrifice? Where does this fit in? 

Well, only death can pay for life right? Bran loses his legs in order to obtain the fire of the gods (weirwood). Arya loses her eyes in order to obtain the fire of the gods. Jon Snow loses his life in order to obtain the fire if the gods. Dany loses her child and husband in order to obtain the fire of the Gods. 

Blood Sacrifice has power, but I think the mechanisms are different to what we are guessing. What happens during a blood sacrifice? Why is it that royal blood carries more weight than regular blood? 

Presumably, the royal bloodlines carried more magical traits than peasants, thus in my theory, it carries more weight/connection to the weirwoods. (I think this is straight forward). 

Here's my theory about Blood Sacrifice...as I stated before, long before the COTF or Humans entered the net, the Gods, magic and weirwoods existed. They are not by products of humanoid ingenuity. However, one could become a part of the weirwoodnet but sacrificing ones body and merging with the weirwood. For example, the rare Greenseeing COTF would connect themselves to the weirwood, amplifying their powers and wisdom, but as a sacrifice, they would eventually merge with the hive mind of the weirwood. i.e. in order to obtain the fire of the gods and the powers of a weirwood, they would have to "become the weirwood". They would have to die, for the ultimate power and wisdom. 

As a reminder, most COTF were just regular elf creatures without any magical prowess. Anyone with red or green eyes were chosen by the Gods, not by chance. Nor do I believe that the COTF took part in blood sacrifice besides the sacrifice of their own bodies for wisdom in death. In other words, the weirwood paste that involves potential blood sacrifice was a human wrinkle is this path to power. As to how the COTF gained the abilities of skinchanging/greenseeing from the net, it could simply be a natural symbiotic evolution between the two, it could be that the COTF are related to the original inhabitants of the Godhead  (One theory from LML is that the original Gods that inhabited the weirwoodnet are Green Men/Old Ones and ancestors to the Children). Or perhaps COTF did partake in blood sacrifice before the humans arrived, binding their DNA to the weirwoodnet.

My belief is that the initial body sacrifice to the weirwood/net (or beast) only grants you temporary access to abilities and you return to your own body after every skinchange as if you were awakening from a dream. However, if you want the 'true" abilities of the vessel you choose (weirwood, direwolf, dragon) you must die and permanently merge with the mind/hive mind of the vessel. So, you obtain the Fire, but only in death. Not in life and not for your descendants. Period. 

However, if one wanted to obtain the "true" Fire of the Gods in life and for ones descendants, it requires more sacrifice or a loophole to obtaining it (a Computer Hack) 

 

So, how do you gain the abilities of a vessel without sacrificing your body?  How do you gain the abilities of the vessel without becoming the vessel? How do you gain the abilities of the vessel in life instead of only death? How do you gain the abilities for your descendants/bloodline? 

1. You have to successfully skinchange into the vessel: Wolf, Dragon Weirwood, etc. You have to slip into the skin

2. You have to die: Your body must be destroyed. A blood sacrifice is necessary no matter what. You need to enter your vessel, "permanently" with no way to escape as you merge with the mind of your vessel. This is why wargs use animals at "second lives" with the goal of body hopping to extend their lives when their first death seems imminent. 

3. Burn or sacrifice the vessel. This is the first step that diverges from what I believe to be the original steps. This is the loophole that Humans discovered and/or took advantage of. Sacrifice the direwolf, weirwood, dragon, etc. which....

4. Returns your mind AND the mind of the vessel you initially invaded(and sacrificed) back into your original body. 

It has long been hinted at that Ghost will be burned/sacrificed which will allow Jon, "and ghost" to return to Jon's body. Why is this significant? 

So, what is the difference and why do I think humans hacked the magic/tree system this way? 

A. It allows your King to return from the grave with the abilities of the Gods that now can potentially be passed down through his bloodline. 

B. Unlike a temporary skinchanging where you awaken unchanged minus a new found temper, you now are permanently connected to the weirwood and weirwood abilities without needing to sacrifice your body to the weirwood.

It is a hack because you essentially downloaded the software abilities to your external hard drive without having to sacrifice or suffer the inevitable virus that comes from using that software too much. It's a cheat code. 

But so far we have only really ever thought about humans or elder beings being sacrificed before weirwoods or whatever, But can you imagine someone slipping into a weirwood and having that weirwood burned, returning the skinchanger to his/her initial body WITH the Godhead that he/she merged with? What kind of abilities/hacks would this person have? 

 

1. Skinchanging: Can slip into the skin of any and all creatures on the planet simultaneously, in theory. Slipping into the mind of Humans, Dragons, etc is no problem. 

2. Greenseer Ability: Can see the past, present, future through the trees, all beasts and beyond. Influence nature and beasts alike. After all, with wifi adapters everywhere and an external hard drive and laptop, the world is literally in your hands. Can also give people dreams for whatever that is worth

3. Immortality*: You don't say? 

4. Invulnerability*: Potentially, after all, you are undead. 

Immortality and Invulnerability are intriguing yet realistic possibilities. After all, we have a lot of potential immortal beings in ASOIAF. 

A. Weirwoods/Black Barked Trees: Self-explanatory, these timeless entities are immortal

B. Bloodraven and Greenseers: When attached to weirwood, it extends the life of their vessel hundreds of years, until they truly become immortal in godhead

C. Undying Ones: Immortal, sipping on the black bark juice

D. Asshai'i: Seemingly immortal. There are no children, nothing can grow, everything is poison and everyone is doing just fine

E. Sheira Seastar : Probably Quaithe. Probably immortal. 

F. Melisandre: doesn't feel the cold, barely sleeps, doesn't need to eat, etc etc. 

G. Wights/Others: clearly don't feel the cold, don't seem to eat, sleep and are ageless. (fire consumes, ice preserves)

H. Original Night's Watchmen: Seem to point at being undead green zombie skinchangers, etc. 

 

Bloodraven, Greenseers, Undying, Wights, Others are all tied to the Weirwood derivatives. While Asshai, Melisandre and Seastar are also proably tied to it. After all, Seastar is the ex lover of Bloodravem, tree god and Melisandre looks like a damn weirwood. Just wow. 

 

Plus, another form of immortality has to do with skinchanging. Im sure, just like Varmyr Sixskins, the most powerful skinchangers of ancient mythos are potentially still alive, hopping from one body to the next. Looking at you Asshai. Point is, the true powers of the weirwood being hacked and stolen by mankind unleashes unlimited possibilities onto the world for corruption. 

(Side note, it is also possible that the weirwood trees are actually speaking through the three-eyed raven vessels and essentially body hopping from one vessel (bloodraven) to another (bran) to fulfil their goals. Yikes)

 

So, when all said and done, it seems like the potential hacking of the weirwoodnet by humans is the original sin and one in which certain, specific humans or bloodlines, gain the mind of a greenseer. And through this greenseer operating system they can potentially hack into any satellite/wife router in existence. 

So with the body of a human and the mind of a greenseer, we already have some deadly bloodline combos from ancient days, but there's one more aspect I should play with that defines the Dawn Empire and their Valyrian descdants: Genetic Engineering. 

It may very well be possible that all the skinchanging I've been talking about between different beasts, races and weirwoods, is wrong and that the only truth is that the Dawn Empire crossbred, inseminated, tortured, spliced, blood sacrificed these magical bloodlines that entered the First Men and Valyria. However, although the Dawn Empire and Valyria clearly were mad scientists, you cannot hack immortality or necromancy. That is magic that you can only obtain through interacting with the weirwood. In short, the ancients probably created bloodlines, bindings and species via a combination of genetic engineering and the weirwoodnet. 

The Others were always cool to me, because they seem to have humanoid bodies, but the mind of a greenseer. And since so much symbolism ties the Others to the weirwoods, it is almost safe to assume that that is where they originate from, at least their minds. Therefore, they are just as powerful, and no different from the OP Human weirwood Hackers that I described earlier. But then, when you look at their bodies...sure they are humanoid, but clearly alien. They seem to be made of pure Ice and Water, and their magical affinity for Ice Magic is solely unique to them and only them, until you remember mfing ICE DRAGONS. 

And that's when we come full circle to blood sacrifice, greenseeing, human vessels, and genetic experimentation. For the Others are like Ice Dragons made flesh. ie. the inverse of Valyria their distant cousins. 

I wont get into it deeply here, but being a Mythical Astronomer, it is clear that the Bloodstone Emperor, the head necromancer and mad scientist dragon lord of the dawn empire, created the Others, at least partially. And the Others themselves, originally, seem to be the Blood of the Dragon. So, they are Dragons trapped in ice, Just like Jon Snow, The Starks, Winterfell, etc. The symbolism keeps repeating itself showing an original connection. 

So to speak clearly, the Others seem to be greenseers connected to the weirwood, with the vessels of humans, initial dragon blood, but now with the abilities of Ice Dragons. How on earth did anyone defeat them? 

Gaining the powerful mind of a greenseer for a human seems to be straightforward and all symbolism tied to the Azor Ahai figure is one of death and rebirth. So that is easy. What isn't easy is gaining the ability of Ice Dragons. Skinchanging wouldn't be enough and I wonder if sacrificing the Ice Dragon would be enough....well let's go through it 

1. Dragon Lords from the Dawn Empire capture an Ice Dragon. The Bloodstone/AA/Night's King, who is already a greenseer and connected to the weirwood (after sacrificing himself earlier) skinchanges into the Ice Dragon, is body is sacrificed. Then the Ice Dragon is sacrificed, (both before the old gods) returning the mind of the Night's King and Ice Dragon to his original body. Thus, gaining the behavior, abilities and physical traits of an Ice Dragon. Ice Dragons have translucent wings/Others have translucent armor, both bring the cold, both have bodies of ice and water, both melt when they die, etc etc. 

Okay this isn't bad. It also means 

2. Dawn Empire Lords became Dragon binders by capturing Dragons, skinchanging into them, destroying their own bodies, than sacrificing the Dragons (both before old gods) returning the minds of both to the original body, thus gaining the behavior, abilities and physical traits of the Fire Dragons. Ala, "Blood of the Dragon". 

Many have you have already noticed that, the Valyrians may have the blood of the dragon, but they are not immune to heat nor do they have fire abilities like the Others do. They also do not seem to be greenseers or anything like that. 

True. But I must point out, that...as powerful as the Valyrian freehold seem to be, they paled in comparison to the Dawn Empire. The difference between the two is like the difference between the Targaryans of Westeros vs. the Valyrian Freehold. Look how much knowledge was lost when only a sliver survived the Doom...I am almost 100% sure that The Dawn Empire was leagues above Valyria in terms of magic, ability, talent, and genetic engineering. Where as I deduce that the DE combined experimentation with weirwood magic, the Valyrians only has the former. And it showed. They had the blood and were brilliant enough to create artifacts to help them bind Dragons like horns and whips via blood sacrifice. But they were not skinchangers or greenseers, (minus the occasional dream). Thus, their Dragon mastery was limited and their blood sacrifice levels were demonic which probably led to their demise.

-No weirwood connection except through ancient blood? No problem, we will create glass candles to facetime the weirwoods without having to go through the ritual binding. 

-Cant skinchange into our Dragons to better control them? No problem, we will just sacrifice as many slaves as possible and make a magic horn

-We're losing our blood powers because we lack the knowledge to preserve it? No problem, we'll just marry our siblings for eternity to keep it from diluting further.

However, I believe that at least in the latter stages of the Dawn Empire, they were equivalent to the "Fire version" of the Others. 

If there were any vessel to remind us of what the DE Dragon Lords were close to, it could be Melisandre. The immortal woman, with the physical appearance of a weirwood (red hair and eyes), the mind of a greenseer (flame reading, dreams), magical prowess (she is one of two shadowbinders we know), invulnerability to disease or weather (doesn't feel the cold) without the need to eat or sleep. Sounds like, at the very least, a fire wight. But since Fire wight seems to be the level of Lady Stoneheart, Melisandre could be the equivalent of a Fire Other, whether symbolic or literal. Oh, she also sacrifices those with royal blood and can raise the dead. 

Sounds like DE Dragon Lord sorcerers to me. 

 

Now for Fire Others and Ice Others presumably during the first long Night, genetic experimentation was also probably used to perfect the vessels and abilities of these creatures. Whatever the case, it seems like the Others continue the tradition. They kidnap babies and between some genetic engineering and weirwood interaction they sire new Others. 

I would love to be in the ballpark with all of this, but it is why I think Jon Snow's resurrection is so significant. The fact that Ghost has red eyes, means that you can look at Ghost as synonymous with a weirwood, which means Ghost may have a powerful greenseer within him. If they both return to Jon's body (along with Ghost) Jon Snow could be a different person, and the most powerful skinchanger we've seen so far. 

 

 

 

[Darth Sidious]

Whew that was a long post.  You've got stamina.  I'll make a few comments on some of the topics covered in your lengthy post.

Weirwoods grow in Westeros.  I do not recall them in Essos.  Might be they were all cut down and eradicated in Essos.  The people in the east seem to know more about history.  They reasoned out long ago the dangers of these trees and cut them down for firewood.

The Valyrians were practicing genetic experiments.  I don't see anything hinting that they used skin changing.  It's more sophisticated than that.  Skin changing is tied to the old powers.  The Valyrians were the technologists of their time.  

Ghost looking like a weirwood probably doesn't mean anything.  Only the fact that he looks different and was found away from the others.  He and Jon will be shunned by society for Jon's crimes against the Night's Watch.  Ghost is the lone direwolf and Jon will be the lone wolf.

[Quoth the raven,]

The blood sacrifice is to nourish the trees.  Which in turn feed the seers connected to the tree roots.  The trees themselves do not give the skinchanger its power.  But I can see why the seers might prefer to consume the blood of a skinchanger because it helps them better control their ravens.  I can only imagine the first men sacrificing people en masse to their trees like a hecatomb.  

[The Mother of The Others]

On 1/31/2019 at 1:11 PM, David C. Hunter said:

the weirwoods "are" the Godhead and thus "are sentient" and thus "do listen, see and meddle in the world of Planetos". 

Well they didn't have brains until we provided ours ala Bloodraven, so their original mode I believe was not sentience the way we define it but more of an Ohm type presence, a psi wave that overruns our minds with alien influence.   The tree mind is made up of tree impulses and drives:  It wants to grow and set down new roots.  It encounters our society and does just that, it spreads ethereal roots into our brains and ends up influencing human society, yes, though not necessarily from a starting place of "sentience."  Weir consciousness may ultimately be purer, more evolved than our kind of muddy thinking-based awareness.  The trees may be trying and failing to bring the order of nature to our chaotic species. 

But primarily the psi wave (weir influence) is just odd, and we are not compatible with Tree Thoughts except if we go way out of our way to become more receptive like the Children, etc.  The basic human who runs into these psi waves from the trees gets their brain zombie-taken in an unhealthy way (like with the Undying).  We become like when that zombie ant thing happens on the nature channel after a fungus gets into their little noggins.   The tree impulse to GROW, when introduced into the human mind, turns into "grow your kingdom" , which explains the thousands of years of useless warfare that is Westerosi history.

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the weirwood paste that involves potential blood sacrifice was a human wrinkle in this path to power

They make themselves blood brothers with the tree.  As dragonlords made themselves blood brothers with the drakes.   Sacrifice, for a tree, is limb loss.   And Nature responds with new growth if it can.   Human sacrifice, then: once the tree is fed on blood and made kin with us along fate lines , our sacrifice creates sympathy for us within the tree mind, and it sends us healing sap to try to rebuild us..... in the form of fate-improving magic.   Blood magic.   Like we tapped the magic maple tree and its psychic sap leaks into our veins.   And we begin to have some  'sweet' / lucky  advantages?   Prophecy.  Victories for the local tribe (White Harbor).  Whatnot.   

But then magic is ephemeral and unweildy so sour sadness ultimately comes to haunt its users when their magically built house of cards can't be maintained and crashes down hard.   (Ghost of high heart; Cercei's fortune foretold; Valyria.....)   It's not rightly part of our world, this foreknowledge, this magic.    So it doesn't tend to serve us well at all in the long run.  The maesters reached that conclusion.    The woods witches live in the woods for good reason- - it keeps them closer to the source of their powers, but also away from the incompatible human world.   Hopefully Daenerys can , for a welcome change, handle the hiltless sword of magic well enough to justify the prophecy. 

 

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pale women with red hair, resembling weirwoods: Catelyn is brought back to life and Melisandre is hundreds of years old without aging, glamor or not...like the weirwoods

I like it.   Mel received the fire kiss of immortality long ago, ...separation from the standard mode of Life.  Like Dondarion.  only Mellie has taken better care of herself, didn't burn through all 9 lives in a fortnight. 

Fire activates some acorn-ish trees to reproduce, right?    Fire priests seem touched with apostles-style tongues of flame that have come to inhabit them.  Are they the roasted nuts (ha) the trees have empowered like magic offspring to know what it feels like to walk in the human realm.  Again here, the human would retain her own mind, but would be joined by an Ohm of background id type magic awareness.

Royal blood importance, two ideas:

1)  The tree experiences time differently and knows fates in advance.   Feeding it our bloodlines brings our fates to its attention.   We become relevant to the gods, and their probability machine begins to whir on our behalf?  Feeding it royal blood then ups the fatefulness, the degree of loss for the human kingdom, and so increases the amount of magic sap that flows our way from the trees.  Stronger magics become castable.

2)  the wackier idea I've not seen on here before- -  WHAT IF THE TREES RESPOND TO ROYAL BLOOD AS IF THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ROYALTY BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN EQUIVALENT???   ROYAL TREES.    One sacrificed long ago to  the Shadow, the other to the Heart of Winter , in events Deeply embroiled somehow with why we have magical seasons & a war of ice and fire.

Goodday, David.  It's possible I may one day even finish reading your treatise.