ATWA (an

acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...

for Air, Trees, Water, Animals and All The Way Alive) is the ecological belief system propounded by

Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal, cult leader, and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some cult members committed a Manson ...

, who was later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder as the leader of the communal

Manson Family The Manson Family (known among its members as the Family) was a Intentional community, commune, gang, and cult led by criminal Charles Manson that was active in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group at its peak consisted of a ...

. ATWA names the interrelated life-support systems of the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

. Manson and his associates, most notably

Lynette Fromme Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme ( ; born October 22, 1948) is an American woman who was a member of the Manson Family, a cult led by Charles Manson. Though not involved in the Tate–LaBianca murders for which the Manson family is best known, she ...

and

Sandra Good Sandra Collins Good (born February 20, 1944) is an American criminal and member of the Manson Family. Good's Manson Family nickname is "Blue", which was given to her by Charles Manson to represent clean air and water. Early life Good was born in ...

, use the term to name the forces of life which they believe hold the balance of the Earth.

Origins

Manson was paroled in 1967 and found a welcoming environment in the burgeoning counterculture. Together with a small retinue of disaffected young people, he took flight from what he characterized as the "madness of the cities" and established a communal colony at the

Spahn Ranch Spahn Ranch, also known as the Spahn Movie Ranch, was a 55-acre (22.3 ha) movie ranch in Los Angeles, California. For a period it was used as a ranch, dairy farm and later movie set during the era of westerns. After a decline in use for filming b ...

in the Santa Susana mountains outside of Los Angeles, California. The group began to make survivalist forays into Death Valley in order to scout out more remote areas of the desert. In September 1969 some members attempted to thwart nearby road developments by deliberately setting an expensive piece of earth-moving equipment on fire. This early act of

eco-terrorism Eco-terrorism is an act of violence which is committed in support of environmental causes, against people or property. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines eco-terrorism as "...the use or threatened use of violence of ...

occurred a number of years before the concept was popularized by

Edward Abbey Edward Paul Abbey (January 29, 1927 – March 14, 1989) was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues, criticism of public land policies, and anarchist political views. His best-known works include the nov ...

Dave Foreman William David Foreman (October 18, 1946 – September 19, 2022) was an American advocate for the conservation of wild lands and wildlife. He was a co-founder of three organizations: Earth First!, the Wildlands Project, and the Rewilding Institu ...

, and other environmentalists.

Lynette Fromme and Sandra Good

In the years following Manson's conviction and imprisonment for conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people, Lynette Fromme and Sandra Good became increasingly active in their efforts to raise awareness of the present system's failure to properly steward the Earth. In 1975,

was found guilty of the attempted assassination of then-president Gerald Ford. While questioned in custody she was asked why she had pointed the gun; she stated, "I stood up and waved a gun (at Ford) for a reason, I was so relieved not to have to shoot it, but, in truth, I came to get life. Not just my life but clean air, healthy water and respect for creatures and creation." In August 2009, Fromme was released from federal prison after serving 34 years.

was imprisoned for 10 years for conspiracy to send threatening letters to corporate executives unless their corporations ceased polluting the environment. After her release in 1985, Good led a campaign against International Paper Co., which she said was harming

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...

In popular culture

Metal band System of a Down has a song named "ATWA" on their 2001 album ''

Toxicity Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacteria, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect o ...

''. In the movie ''

Manson Family Vacation ''Manson Family Vacation'' is a 2015 American comedy film written and directed by J. Davis. The film stars Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Leonora Pitts, Adam Chernick and Tobin Bell. The film was released on October 6, 2015, by The Orchard. Cast ...

'' (2015), the character Conrad wants to be a member of an environmental organization based on the ATWA philosophy.

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial blog
*''Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature'' edited by Bron R. Taylor (Continuum, 2005, ) *''Charles Manson - Love Letters to a Secret Disciple'' by Sy Wyzinski (Moonmad Press, 1976, ) *'' Charles Manson Superstar'' documentary directed by Nikolas Schreck (Music Video Distribu, DVD Release Date: 2002) *''Desert Shadows: A True Story of the Charles Manson Family in Death Valley'' by Bob Murphy (Sagebrush Press, 1999, ) {{Manson Family Charles Manson Environmental philosophy Ecofascism