[davem]

I suppose a few things struck me instantly - the first, Gandalf's claim that he was 'sent back'. Tolkien comments on this in Letter 156:

"Naked I was sent back - for a brief time, until my task is done." Sent back by whom, and whence? Not by the "gods" whose business is only with this embodied world and its time; for he passed "out of thought and time". Naked is alas! unclear. It was meant just literally, ''unclothed like a child" (not discarnate), and so ready to receive the clothed like a child" (not discarnate), and so ready to recelve the white robes of the highest. Galadriel's Power is not divine, and his healing in Lorien is meant to be no more than physical healing and refreshment. ''.

So, it wasn't the Valar - not even Manwe himself - who sent Gandalf 'back' into the world. It must have been Eru Himself. It seems that Gandalf literally died in his confrontation with the Balrog, & unlike an Elf it seems that he was not destined simply return to Valinor to be clothed in another form & remain forever within the Circles of the World. He truly died & passed into the presence of Eru. This is odd, in the light of other statements by Tolkien that once the Ainur had entered into the world they had to remain there till its end.

Then we have his summoning of Shadowfax:

Gandalf caressed him. 'It is a long way from Rivendell, my friend' he said; 'but you are wise and swift and come at need. Far let us ride now together, and part not in thiis world again.

Its interesting to speculate on how Shadowfax knew of Gandalf's 'need' of him. Perhaps the answer can be found in an earlier draft:

'The earliest extant account of Gandalf's summons to Shadowfax with his three great whistles, and his coming across the plain to the eaves of Fangom with Arod and Hasofel returning is already exactly as in IT (see p. 432); and this seems to fit the story in the present text, for Gandalf says to Shadowfax 'It is a long way from Rivendell, my friend; but you are wise and swift, and come at need,' and he says to Legolas 'I bent my thought upon him, bidding him to make haste; for yesterday he was far away in the south of this land.' (Treason of Isengard)

Perhaps we have here another example of Osanwe? Gandalf summons Shadowfax 'in thought' (as Aragorn will later summon the Dunedain. Of course this opens something of a can of worms - does Shadowfax have a 'soul'? Is he capable of Osanwe himself?

Finally for now, a fascinating insight into one of the powers of wizards from an early draft:

In the first draft Gimli asks: 'That old man. You say Saruman is abroad. Was it you or Saruman that we saw last night?' and Gandalf replies: 'If you saw an old man last night, you certainly did not see me. But as we seem to look so much alike that you wished to make an incurable dent in my hat, I must guess that you saw Saruman [or a I vision>] or some wraith of his making. [Struck out: I did not know that he lingered here so long.]' Against Gandalf's words my father wrote in the margin: Vision of Gandalfs thought. There is clearly an important due here to the curious ambiguity surrounding the apparition of the night before, if one knew how to interpret it; but the words are not perfectly clear. They obviously represent a new thought: arising perhaps from Gandalf's suggestion that if it was not Saruman himself that they saw it was a 'vision' or 'wraith' that he had made, the apparition is now to emanate from Gandalf himself. But of whom was it a vision? Was it an embodied 'emanation' of Gandalf, proceeding from Gandalf himself, that they saw? 'I look into his unhappy mind and I see his doubt and fear', Gandalf has said; It seems more likely perhaps that through his deep concentration on Saruman he had 'projected' an image of Saruman which the three companions could momentarily see. I have found no other evidence to cast light on this most curious element in the tale; but it may be noted that in the time-scheme deriving from the time of the writing of 'Helm's Deep and 'The Road to Isengard' my father noted of that night: 'Aragorn and his companions spend night on the battle-field, and see ''old man" (Saruman). ' (Treason)

The idea that Gandalf could (unconsciously) 'project' an image of Saruman which others could see is fascinating. More Osanwe here? The Istari, it seems are capable of both astral & thought projection, but the former seems the most interesting in the light of Osanwe - was it possible to 'detatch' the Fea from the Hroa? If so, was this a 'technique' which could be mastered by others? Could it even be made to happen to someone against their will? This could explain the Nazgul - were they Hroa-less Fea?

Perhaps there's a clue to this in the Witch King's threat to Eowyn:

'Come not between the Nazgul and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.'

Perhaps he's threatening her with what happened to him at Sauron's hands?