Charles Manson

Charles Manson (1934-2017) was an American criminal and cult leader whose name became synonymous with manipulation, violence, and psychological control. In the late 1960s, he founded the Manson Family, a quasi-commune in California whose members committed a series of brutal murders, including the infamous 1969 killing of actress Sharon Tate.

As an Eight of Clubs, Manson had a mind that could grasp deep and powerful knowledge - but when misaligned, this card can reflect obsession, mental domination, and the destructive use of intellectual force. Often called the "brain power" card, the Eight of Clubs has the potential for brilliance or madness. Manson used his gift of persuasion and intense mental energy not to uplift, but to control others, twisting his charisma into manipulation and wielding words like weapons.

Though he failed as a musician and outsider in Hollywood, his legacy remains chilling - a cautionary tale of intelligence gone awry, and of how ideas, when corrupted, can lead to catastrophic outcomes.