BOOK OF REVELATIONS

For Charles Manson, religion was a strong force that was used to manipulate the minds of his followers and to justify the commission of the Tate-LaBianca murders. The influence of religion at the Spawn Ranch and among Manson's "Family" was undeniable. Manson was referred to as "God" and "Jesus Christ." Manson was known to frequently quote from the Bible. However, he also believed that the Bible was subject to interpretation. Nowhere was this more apparent that the ninth chapter of Revelation, a Manson favorite. In Revelations, there are four angels referred to. Manson believed these "four angels" were the musical group The Beatles. For Manson, the Beatles represented prophets who were placed on earth to warn of the upcoming revolution. The first verse of Revelation 9 refers to a fifth angel. Some have interpretated this to be a reference to the original five Beatles. However, for most members of the Family, there is little doubt that they believed that fifth angel was Charles Manson. The Book of Revelations goes on to state: "And he opened the bottomless pit...And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth." Again, Manson interpreted the "locusts" to be the Beatles. "Their faces were as the faces of men, " yet, "they had hair as the hair of women." In the 1960's, the Beatles, just like many of the times' young people, were hippie-like with long hair. The "fire and brimstone" that came out of the mouths of the four angels was explained by Manson to be the moving and often powerful words that the Beatles sang.

The "breastplates of fire" that the angels wore were of course the electric guitars around the necks of the band members. Manson believed that the Beatles were talking to him thru their songs. It was the White Album, issued in December 1968, that Manson considered the most important. The album arguably contained some of the Beatles finest work, but it also contained some of their strangest. Manson believed this was the prophesy he and his followers had been waiting for. The songs most often played by Manson and his Family were: "Blackbird," "Piggies," "Revolution I," "Revolution 9," and "Helter Skelter." The songs each contain a strange and eerie chords where one can hear a pig snorting, machine-gun fire and people screaming. Of the songs, "Revolution 9" is probably the most odd. The song has no lyrics nor any music in the conventional sense. Instead the song is made up of a montage of strange sounds ranging from dialogue from the BBC, babies crying, church hymns, to a refrain of "Number 9, Number 9, Number 9," building to a climax of screams and gun fire, followed in the end by a soft "Good Night." Manson believed the White Album, and "Revolution 9" in particular, was a sign of the coming of the Armegededdon, a black-white revolution. According to Manson, "Revolution I" was the Beatles message that it was now time to commit to the revolution. "Revolution 9" was a message to tell the black man that now was the time to rise. This was known as the philosophy of "Helter Skelter." In his "Helter Skelter" scenario, Manson expected that the blacks would eventually win the race war. Unable to govern, Manson believed that the blacks would turn to him for leadership.

Linda Kasabian testified that on the night of August 8, 1969, Manson announced: "Now is the time for Helter Skelter." It was Manson's plan to personally incite the race war by committing an atrocious crime. He planned to dump the victim's wallets into an area where blacks where likely to find them and steal them. Eventually, Manson hoped that blacks would be charged with the heinous murders of white people, thus a race war would begin. The motive to the Tate-LaBianca murders was eventually linked to this bizarre mix of religion and pop music and its twisted interpretation by Manson. It was a motive that was so bizarre that few would have been able to believe it had it not been for the undeniable evidence seen at the crime scenes. At the Tate residence, Sharon Tate's own blood was used to write the word "PIG" on the front door. At the LaBianca residence, blood was used to spell out the words "HELTER SKELTER." "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads." Manson never told his followers exactly what that "seal" or mark might be, only that the mark would designate whether they were against him or with him. Manson said that he would know. Perhaps this is why Manson chose to draw a swastika on his forehead during his trial and urged his Family to do it as well. The last verse of Revelation 9 states: "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fortification, nor of their thefts." Manson never claimed that the verse held any special meaning for him. However, Vincent Bugliosi believed otherwise. In his book Helter Skelter, Bugliosi wrote that he found himself thinking of that verse often during the trial. Perhaps that verse best explains the actions of Manson and his fellow Family members on those two nights in August, 1969 as they savagely killed seven innocent people in cold blood and went on to show no remorse.