# ATWA

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Philosophy of the Manson Family cult

For the [System of a Down](/source/System_of_a_Down) song, see [Toxicity (album)](/source/Toxicity_(album)).  For the political party, see [Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party](/source/Abolish_the_Welsh_Assembly_Party).

**ATWA** (an [acronym](/source/Acronym) for **Air, Trees, Water, Animals** and **All The Way Alive**) is the ecological belief system propounded by [Charles Manson](/source/Charles_Manson), who was later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder as the leader of the communal [Manson Family](/source/Manson_Family). ATWA names the interrelated life-support systems of the [Earth](/source/Earth). Manson and his associates, most notably [Lynette Fromme](/source/Lynette_Fromme) and [Sandra Good](/source/Sandra_Good), use the term to name the forces of life which they believe hold the balance of the Earth.[1]

## Origins

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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](/source/Spahn_Ranch) 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](/source/Eco-terrorism) occurred a number of years before the concept was popularized by [Edward Abbey](/source/Edward_Abbey), [Dave Foreman](/source/Dave_Foreman), 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.[2]

In 1975, [Lynette Fromme](/source/Lynette_Fromme) was found guilty of the [attempted assassination of then-president Gerald Ford](/source/Gerald_Ford_assassination_attempt_in_Sacramento). 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."[2] In August 2009, Fromme was released from federal prison after serving 34 years.

[Sandra Good](/source/Sandra_Good) was imprisoned for 10 years for conspiracy to send threatening letters to corporate executives unless their corporations ceased polluting the environment.[2] After her release in 1985, Good led a campaign against [International Paper Co.](/source/International_Paper_Co.), which she said was harming [Lake Champlain](/source/Lake_Champlain).[3]

## In popular culture

Metal band [System of a Down](/source/System_of_a_Down) has a song named "ATWA" on their 2001 album *[Toxicity](/source/Toxicity_(album))*.[4]

In the movie *[Manson Family Vacation](/source/Manson_Family_Vacation)* (2015), the character Conrad wants to be a member of an environmental organization based on the ATWA philosophy.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Schreck, Nikolas](/source/Nikolas_Schreck) (1988). [*The Manson File*](/source/The_Manson_File). New York City: [Amok Press](/source/Amok_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-941693-04-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-941693-04-X).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Bravin_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Bravin_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Bravin_2-2) [Bravin, Jess](/source/Jess_Bravin) (May 15, 1997). [*Squeaky: The Life and Times of Lynette Alice Fromme*](https://books.google.com/books?id=6RHhAQAAQBAJ). Macmillan. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780312156633](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780312156633). Retrieved March 16, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Bridport Journal; A Ghost Of Manson Reappears In the East"](https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/05/us/bridport-journal-a-ghost-of-manson-reappears-in-the-east.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. December 5, 1989. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved May 27, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Vanhorn, Teri (June 27, 2001). ["System of a Down Measure Growth with Toxicity"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151224093528/http://www.mtv.com/news/1444825/system-of-a-down-measure-growth-with-toxicity/). MTV. Archived from [the original](http://www.mtv.com/news/1444825/system-of-a-down-measure-growth-with-toxicity/) on December 24, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2019.

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.atwaearth.com/)

- [Official blog](https://atwaatwar.blog/)

- *Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature* edited by Bron R. Taylor (Continuum, 2005, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781843711384](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781843711384))

- *Charles Manson - Love Letters to a Secret Disciple* by Sy Wyzinski (Moonmad Press, 1976, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0917918010](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0917918010))

- *[Charles Manson Superstar](/source/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, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0930704290](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0930704290))

v t e Charles Manson and the Manson Family Susan Atkins Bobby Beausoleil Mary Brunner Bruce Davis Lynette Fromme Sandra Good Steve Grogan Barbara Hoyt Linda Kasabian Patricia Krenwinkel Ruth Ann Moorehouse Catherine Share Leslie Van Houten Paul Watkins Charles Watson Murders Known Donald Shea Tate–LaBianca murders (Jay Sebring • Sharon Tate) Suspected Marina Elizabeth Habe Ronald Hughes Attempted Paul Watkins Gerald Ford Barbara Hoyt Charles Older Beliefs ATWA Helter Skelter Locations Barker Ranch Spahn Ranch 10050 Cielo Drive Topanga Canyon Media By Manson Discography Beach Boys recordings (1968) Never Learn Not to Love (1968) Lie: The Love and Terror Cult (1970) Look at Your Game, Girl (1970) The Family Jams (1997) One Mind (2005) By others Books Helter Skelter (1974) The White Album (1979) The Manson File (1988) The Dead Circus (2003) The Girls (2016) CHAOS (2019) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2021) Films I Drink Your Blood (1971) The Other Side of Madness (1971) Manson (1973) Snuff (1976) Manson Family Movies (1984) Charles Manson Superstar (1989) The Manson Family (1997) Live Freaky! Die Freaky! (2006) Leslie, My Name Is Evil (2009) Life After Manson (2014) House of Manson (2014) Manson Family Vacation (2015) Wolves at the Door (2016) Charlie Says (2018) The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) Zeroville (2019) The Manson Family Massacre (2019) CHAOS: The Manson Murders (2025) Television Helter Skelter (1976) "Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson!" (1998) Helter Skelter (2004) Aquarius (2015–16) Mindhunter (2017–19) American Horror Story: Cult (2017) "Charles (Manson) in Charge" (2017) Music The Manson Family: An Opera (1990) Related articles Vincent Bugliosi Dennis Wilson Irving Kanarek Terry Melcher George Spahn

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