The little nuances about the ATLA and LOK series are one reason why I can’t get enough of either show. From Toph’s blind jokes to the continuous thread of balance in every episode, I get chills watching the series up the stakes and become more influential in my own life and philosophies.
When I re-watched The Old Masters episode (S3 E E18), I paid more attention to Aang’s interest in the hexagon symbol he finds on the lion turtle island.
Aang: It’s a hexagon. It doesn’t seem like normal rock. It’s not made of earth. This is so strange. I wish I had some help right now.
The writers are infamous for weaving subtle symbols into the narrative, and Aang’s verbal emphasis encouraged me to look into the symbolism behind the hexagon. I wasn’t disappointed.
The shape is one of the few that appears in nature (i.e. bees’ honeycombs and snowflakes) and is revered for its inherent role in constructing and shaping parts of our world. I believe this natural significance is the foundation for its association with:
I even found a source that referenced its connection to Christian mysticism and polarity. Considering that Aang is drawn to this spot after falling asleep during a meditation session, I wonder if the writers came upon this information as well.
It is only fitting that Aang rests on this sacred ground, attempting to forge a union between his role as the Avatar and his duty to his peaceful principles. Communicating with four of his past lives (Fire Nation Roku, Earth Nation Kyoshi, and Water Nation Kuruk), he completes the Avatar cycle with Air Nation Yangchen. Even though he leaves the hexagon in frustration and without a clear answer, the scene calls attention to some important aspects of balance.
Having been raised by the monks in the Air Nation, a community based off our real-world Buddhists, Aang is a loving and peaceful kid. A vegetarian with a profound respect for every living creature, he must come to terms with ending the Fire Lord’s life, a man whose very existence threatens others on a worldwide scale.
Each of the past Avatars tell Aang that he must kill the Fire Lord because this villain’s continued existence would mean destruction for the entire world. Aang hopes that Yangchen, an Avatar from his own nation, will understand the need to stay true to his upbringing. Yet the answer Yangchen gives him is not the one he expects.
Yangchen: Avatar Aang, I know that you’re a gentle spirit and the monks have taught you well. But this isn’t about you. This is about the world.
Aang: But the monks taught me that I had to detach myself from the world so my spirit could be free.
Yangchen: Many great and wise Air nomads have detached themselves and achieved spiritual enlightenment. But the Avatar can never do it, because your sole duty is to the world. Here is my wisdom for you. Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to protect the world.
In this dialogue, the Avatar’s role in balancing the world comes to an introspective head. While an Air Nomad, Yangchen is as different from Aang as Aang is from individuals in the other nations or his friends: it could be attributed to a larger difference in age, but if Avatar Korra’s aggressive personality has taught us anything, it is that an Avatar’s life is as much their own as it is a part of each other’s.
To truly bring balance to the world, don’t you need different sides of an argument and different perspectives? It is why the Avatar must cycle through the nations and why each Avatar must have different mannerisms, philosophies, and ways of approaching their issues. Real world leaders emulated this call for universal empathy and understanding with the creation of the United Nations.
Does this mean that everything is perfect? Of course not. We see how Avatar Roku’s decision to not kill Fire Lord Sozin resulted in Aang’s dilemma with the new Fire Lord. A similar situation occurs when Aang’s decisions directly correlate with Korra’s first adventure in Republic City. However, that is the nature of life. Ebb and flow. Push and pull. Yin and Yang.
The hexagon is so much more than just a clearing in an island jungle. It is the literal and figurative foundation for Aang forging his own road to balance, as he neither kills the Fire Lord nor allows him to wreak further havoc and destruction on the world. Ultimately, his decision ushers in an era of peace and restoration.
What a poignant balance breadcrumb.
Sources:
a) Symbolism. Hexagon Symbolic Meaning
b) The Mystery of Numbers by Annemarie Schimmel
c) Every Avatar State in Order
