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First referenced in 1998 in Mechanical Animals on the song 'Posthuman', JFK and the impact of his death upon America has been a theme which Manson has subsequently and continually referenced in his work ever since. Most noteworthy of these references have been the songs "President Dead", King Kill 33º, as well as many off-handed allusion throughout the album Holy Wood and very prominently in the video for Coma White in which Manson actually reenacts Kennedy's assassination. To those unfamiliar with Manson this seemingly unrelated juxtaposed imagery may seem as a whole something of mere sensationalism but in reality has been a theme which Manson has always played upon even long before he used Kennedy as an example of this; Celebritarianism, which mankind's inherent violent nature and morbid fascination of such. In America, most children (though particularly of now slightly older generations) have grown up watching the Zapruder film of of Kennedy's head being eviscerated on camera. The concept of Celebritarianism is Manson's observation and indictment of a culture which places serial killers on the same celebrity status as a glamour starlet, which is where the very name 'Marilyn Manson' derives from; where one is only cared about after one is dead; and where if one is killed on camera it's a guarantee of a posthumous celebrity treatment with Kennedy's public and televised assassination being representative of this after his death he became, and to many parties concerned, a Second Christ in the eyes of America.

Though the imagery Manson utilizes is one which both graphic and dark it is in no way one which is glorifying to such violence, and in fact quite the contrary as Manson as an artist did not create the world but instead reflects upon it. This theme is one, as previously stated, concurrent throughout Manson's body of work but one most apparent post his scapegoating of the Columbine shootings and also a theme which was subsequently validated by the very same society and media blitzing that Manson was indicting. The point was proven when the two killers, only days prior were mere 'Nobodies', made the cover of Time magazine for a mass killing just as Charles Manson made the cover of Life magazine in the late 1960's under similar circumstances. The song 'Posthuman' summarizes this in what is referred to in metaphorical terms is a society where violence is the religion and the saints are dead stars with the preconditional of being beatified is either a public death or causing one.

For more on Celebritarian and Celebritarianism read THE LAMB OF GOD .COM, HIDDEN SITES, VALENTINE'S DAY and the continuously updated MARILYN MANSON.COM UPDATES & ANALYSIS page, as well as the exclusive interview "Dramatic New Scenes For Celebritarian Needs" on The NACHTKABARETT's partner site The Heirophant.

Another theme which is recurringly played upon by Manson of occult origins is that of the cyclical nature of time and actions. This was first seen in 1996's Antichrist Svperstar where each of the albums three sections were titled 'cycles' and with the last track 99 flowing seamlessly back into track one creating such a loop. As Holy Wood is the third dimension of the story drawn upon in the Triptych of Antichrist Svperstar, Mechanical Animals and the aforementioned, the use cycles continued and particularly through the use of alchemical themes. Most notable is the theme of rebirth and transformation which is not only present Holy Wood but is one of the most consistent links throughout all of Manson's works.

The cyclical nature of Holy Wood is represented both by the parallelism of Godeatgod and Count To Six & Die (The Vaccuum of Infinite Space Encompassing), the first and last songs respectively, but also through the use of visuals in this occurrence. The hidden feature of Holy Wood when it was released was that it was an enhanced disc that when inserted into the computer it acted as a link to a video which most recently was also included as a bonus on the newly released Lest We Forget video collection DVD. As discussed above and the reasons for which, Manson has previously reenacted Kennedy's death. The bonus video of Holy Wood is a black and white depiction or Manson reenacting Kennedy's autopsy.

The operative intentional difference between the original footage of Kennedy and Manson's interpretation is that instead of the removal of Manson's brain at the end of the film, when his skull is sawed open the technicians remove from the head cavity a fetus attached to an umbilical cord.

GODEATGOD

Though a very squeamish and disturbing imagery, it bares much significance and many parallels throughout Holy Wood and Manson's work. One of the aspects which, prior to its release Manson stated about the album, was that two core themes throughout was the idea of evolution and revolution (and yes, that in itself is also a reference to John Lennon who, like Kennedy, is another public martyr) with this bonus video being yet another reiteration of such. Manson, in Holy Wood, took the concept of being Born Again and applied it to another more metaphorical dimension, which specifically in alchemy, is the idea that one transforms oneself continually throughout the accomplishments of one's work. This, again, was played upon in Antichrist Svperstar with the use of a cyclical timeline and recurs in Holy Wood with the illustration that metaphorical death is a necessary step to such a rebirth, with the use of a cyclical illustration to depict the regeneration to life. The title of the song 'Godeatgod' reflects this particularly in that, as in the above illustration, the concept of Ouroubourous the self devouring serpent to represent the infinite process that there is no life without death, an vice versa.

See also: ALCHEMY & KABBALAH on The NACHTKABARETT.

"When One World Ends Something Else Begins
But Without A Scream...."

The Four Worlds of the Kaballah as shown within the Holy Wood booklet	Interior back cover of Holy Wood depicting a fetal skeleton within its mother. A morbid illustration of life emerging from death

"...some of us are really born to die."

Cover of Holy Wood featuring the martyred Manson silenced via his absent jawbone and a
detail of the Kennedy autopsy cover sheet which follows through the album artwork

"The Fool is about to walk off a cliff, and it's a good card. It represents embarking on a journey, or taking a big step forward. That could represent the campaign of the recording coming out or going on tour now."

The oblivious John 5 in Secret Service attire representing the unprotected Kennedy with Jackie O in the pink dress worn the day he was assasinated. Also note the monkey as a symbol of evolution & revolution which Holy Wood is based upon and the Kennedy campaign poster hung from John's rifle.

The closing sentence is a reference to what is discussed further below, King Kill 33º and throughout the text of the one chapter of the Holy Wood which has been public are further references to Kennedy as the King of Camelot which is prevalent in the American lore of Kennedy but discussed particularly within the manuscript as occult elements surrounding Kennedy's assasination.

Within the album of Holy Wood, the song 'A Place in the Dirt' holds further reference to King Kill 33º and Kennedy with the chorus repitition of "Put me in the motorcade, put me in the death parade" and with 'Now we hold the "ugly head"' to the manuscript allegations of Kennedy being Gaelic for the term "ugly or wounded head".

Detail of Disposable Teens single cover with Kennedy autopsy face sheet	Detail of The Fight Song single cover with Boswell's diagram of JFK's fractured skull

Face/Descriptive sheet and diagram of JFK's skull noting the 10 x 17 cm missing piece from the President's skull as drawn by J. Thornton Boswell, MD during autopsy

Detail of The Fight Song single showing a still of frame 313 of the Zapruder film depicting
Kennedy's head being shot in the monitor screen on Manson's shoulder.

Two stills of frame 313 of the Zapruder film which appear in the opening vignette of Celebritarian.com. Frame 313 of the film, being annotated, is the frame in which Kennedy's head is impacted and explodes; coinciding the song "President Dead" is 3 minutes and 13 seconds long.

Illustration of the "Magic Bullet" theory deatiled in the Warren Commission investigation into Kennedy's assasination in which a single bullet allegedly shot Kennedy, causing two wounds, and then hit Texas Governor Nellie Connally three times, passing through bone, and was removed from his left thigh in pristine condition as opposed to the completely flattened and obliterated state in which it should have been. Since such a series of wounds and as many multiple changes of trajectory of a single bullet are theoretically and otherwise impossible, the "Magic Bullet" theory remains as the key physical evidence which points to a conspiracy in the assasination of JFK as more than one gunmen from more than one location with more than the three shots which were documented as being fired would have been needed to to coincide with the physical evidence and witness testimonials of the assasination.

One of the more esoteric references in Holy Wood, King Kill 33º is one of the most blatant references to the Kennedy assasination after the song "President Dead", which again represents the theme of Kennedy becoming the Second Christ in the eyes of America because his death was televised and subsequently portrayed as martyrdom. The title is a reference to the manuscript King Kill 33 by James Shelby Downard and Michael A. Hoffman. Most Marilyn Manson fans at one time or another have probably come across the web page entitle King-Kill 33: Masonic Symbolism in the Assassination of John F.Kennedy which is a preface and excerpts to the entire 35 page manuscript, and upon reading the excerpt it is a very interesting treatise and is essentially what the song and imagery surrounding the album are evocative of.

The concept dealt with within King Kill 33 is reference to the esoteric rite of The Killing Of The King, often assosociated with alchemy, and particularly how the enactment of this rite was the motive behind John F. Kennedy's assasination. The number 33 is the highest degree of the Scottish rite of Masonry, it is also the degree of latitude at which JFK was assasinated at the Dealy Plaza, the degree of latitude which the detonation of the first atomic bomb at Trinity and the degree of latitude which the the Temple of Solomon in Israel is to be rebuilt, as foretold in the Book of Revelations as one of the signs heralding the Apocalypse, The Second Coming Of Christ. For more on alchemy and its relation to Manson and Holy Wood, take a look in the ALCHEMY & KABBALAH section of The NACHTKABARETT.

As outlined by the book Secret Societies And Psychological Warfare, "Fabled alchemy had at least three goals to accomplish before the total decay of matter was fulfilled. These are :

• The Creation and Destruction of Primordial Matter
  
• The Killing Of The King
  
• The Bringing of Prima Materia to Prima Terra

"The Creation and Destruction of Primordial Matter was accomplished at the White Head ("Ancient of Days"), at White Sands, New Mexico, at the Trinity Site. The Trinity Site itself is located at the beginning of an ancient western road in old Mexico as the Jornada del muerto (the Journey of Death).

"Early in this century a Freemason named Peter Kern was ordered to build a highly symbolic 'Gate of Death' at a key point on the ancient Jornada del muerto trail. It was known as the Gate with a Thousand Doors. At the front of this gate Kern was ceremonially murdered (decapitated) by a hooded executioner.

"The are 33 segments in the human spinal column which according to occult lore is the vehicle of the fiery ascent of the Kundalini serpent force which resides in the human body. 33 is the highest degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry. The Creation and Destruction of Primordial Matter occurred exactly on the Trinity Site, the 'Place of Fire,' with the explosion of the first atomic bomb, culminating untold thousands of years of Alchemical speculation and practise.

"The Killing of the King rite was accomplished at another Trinity Site located approximately ten miles south of the 33rd degree of north parallel latitude between the Trinity River and the Triple Underpass at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Dealey Plaza was the site of the first masonic temple in Dallas. In this spot, which had been known during thr 19th century cowboy era as 'Bloody Elm Street,' the world leader who had become known as the 'King Of Camelot,' President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was shot to death." The third and last goal, The Bringing of Prima Materia to Prima Terra, was also allegedly fulfilled in 1969 when the Apollo brought back moon rocks from the 'Prima Materia,' to the Earth, the 'Prima Terra.'

It should be noted that these facets of Alchemy stated here are those claimed by Hoffman in relation to the manuscript King Kill 33º which are his own interpretations and are are not discussed herein for the purpose of accuracy in regard to historical alchemy, but those which reflect the theme of the writing.

Manson has also used the moniker 'The King Of Camelot' in referencing Kennedy during the writing of Holy Wood. At a later date I plan on adding more on how this actually relates to In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death and The Triptych but as this is a very esoteric and misunderstood reference in Holy Wood, this is what the title of the song if referring to.

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Sources & references of interest:

King Kill 33 by James Shelby Downard & Michael A. Hoffman

Secret Societies and Psychological Warfare by Michael A. Hoffman