Faery Gold
The Tylwyth Teg Files: Example 1
*BE A GODDESS!* By Francesca de Grandis
Background
*BE A GODDESS!*, ISBN 0-06-251505-5, was authored by Francesca De Grandis (formerly Francesca Dubie) of the Bay Area in California, and published in 1998 by Harper SanFrancisco. Prior to publication, portions of the material appeared on the Third Road website, in Green Egg Magazine, and other forums.The page being compared below was at http://www.tylwythteg.com/bos1.html as of 4 Aug 2001. On 6 Aug 2001, the page was moved, and Faery Gold has yet to determine if it was relocated or removed entirely from the site.
24 Aug 2001 - A contributor has alerted us to an exact correlation between the material formerly on the bos1.html page and the essay on FDG's website. The comparison based on this has been added below the book references. Though this material seems to have been removed at present, this comparison shall remain since it sheds light on, among other things, the TRUE source of YTT's "Thirteen Treasures" of alleged ancient and noble pedigree. The Truth shall make us free.
The Comparisons
FDG, page 3, paragraph 3:
This account of personal history has been on FDG's website at http://www.well.com/user/zthirdrd/FT&3.html since before her book came out:"The college I attended had two campuses, separated by a forest. I often had to walk through those woods at night, and the path was not lit. I was terrified: I believed the Faerie Folk lived in that woods, so I would run as quickly as I could, thinking they wanted to abduct me, and treat me cruelly.
Little did I know that the Fey Folk are a kind race. The Faeries in those woods must have been calling me, and I feared the call because I knew no better. But later I completed a rigorous and rare seven-year training with Victor Anderson, to become a Celtic shaman, by being adopted into Victor's family which had kept the old ways - also called Faerie Tradition - intact."
YTT:
"An example of how this belief in Faeries manifests to our members is a story told by one of our Elders. He lived a distance from a neighborhood shop when he was a child. He was often asked by his parents to go to the shop in the early evening to get milk or bread. Usually when he started back from the shop, it would be dark, and the street was not lit. As he passed a certain area called the "Bailey woods", he would become very frightened. He had been told by his Uncle that Leprechauns (Irish Faerie Folk) lived in those woods. In fact he said that he often seemed to hear someone calling his name during these trips. He would then run home as fast as he could, thinking "they" would "get him" if he wasn't careful.
The Faeries in those woods had been calling him, but he didn't respond and was afraid because he didn't know any better. In 1966, after completing the basic training in Wales, he was again introduced to the Faeries, recognized them from his childhood, became a Welsh Witch, and was adopted into the Tribe of Dynion Mwyn which had kept the old ways."
FDG p10 paragraph 1:
"Wicca celebrates passion, sexuality, and unique individuality. In the twelve years I have taught shamanism, innumerable students have confided: "For the first time ever, I feel I have permission to..." (quit an unsatisfying job, enjoy sex, write poetry, stand up to an overbearing parent, travel to Europe, come out of the closet, or any number of other things). My students students feel they can be fully themselves and live the life they yearn for."YTT:
"Y Tylwyth Teg celebrates passion, sexuality, and unique individuality. In the thirty years we have taught the Y Tylwyth Teg Faerie Tradition, innumerable students have confided in us: "For the first time, I feel I have permission to... ." It may have been permission to quit an un-satisfying job, enjoy sex, write poetry, be themselves, stand up to an overbearing parent, travel to Europe, come out of the closet or any number of things. It doesn't matter what the permission was for; the point is that our students feel they can fully be themselves and live a life they have yearned for."
FDG page 21, paragraph 3:
"Another term for spiritual practices might be *discipline*. We do something over and over until we get good at it, just as athletes practice for their games. For people who are looking for an alternative to the harsh, restrictive religions they were raised with, discipline can be a scary word. It's no wonder. Discipline is often abused in this culture, used as a tool to destroy a person's individuality and passion. Yet true discipline gives us freedom. Dancers know that if they do the necessary stretches first, they can dance joyfully, without restraint. Just so, the discipline of Wicca can be the key to true personal freedom and joy."
YTT:
"For all its emphasis on ecstasy, Y Tylwyth Teg, is very disciplined. Another term for "spiritual practices" might be "discipline." You do something over and over until you get it right, like athletes practice for their games. For people who are looking for an alternative to the harsh, restrictive religions they grew up with, "discipline' can be a scary word. And no wonder: discipline is often abused in this culture, used as a tool to destroy a person's individuality and passion. Yet true discipline gives us freedom: dancers know that if they do the necessary stretches first, they can dance joyfully, without restraint. Just so, the discipline of Y Tylwyth Teg can be the key to true personal freedom and joy."
These are just a few examples. As you read down the page on the YTT website with *BE A GODDESS!* in hand, you will see paragraph after paragraph is lifted straight from the text of the book.
On top of the outright plagiarism, Francesca's personal history is being represented as the personal history of Bill Wheeler, founder of Y Tylwyth Teg in 1967. Only the names have been changed.
PART II
Below is a complete comparison of [former] http://www.tylwythteg.com/bos1.html, about halfway down the page. The majority of Example 1 was taken--nearly verbatim--from FDG's web page at: http://www.well.com/user/zthirdrd/FT&3.html .Notice that YTT takes each of these point by point and doesn't even bother to change the order--it's exactly the same as in FDG's essay, including punctuation!
Also, FDG very clearly states:
Various Copyrights: This essay is mostly cut n' paste, extracted from my other essays, stories, books, etc, sources too numerous to name here since I quote from myself constantly! In other words, this material is copywritten, dates between 1986 and 1996 -- for the record, most of this piece is quite old -- so please credit it or any portion of it as my copywrite....Francesca De Grandis
The 3rd Road Brochure
FDG:
The college I attended had two campuses, separated by a forest. I often had to walk through those woods at night, and the path was not lit. I was terrified: I believed the Faerie Folk lived in that woods, so I would run as quickly as I could, thinking they wanted to abduct me, and treat me cruelly.Little did I know that the Fey Folk are a kind race. The Faeries in those woods must have been calling me, and I feared the call because I knew no better. But later I completed a rigorous and rare seven-year training with Victor Anderson, to become a Celtic shaman, by being adopted into Victor's family which had kept the old ways -- also called Faerie Tradition -- intact.
YTT:
An example of how this belief in Faeries manifests to our members is a story told by one of our Elders. He lived a distance from a neighborhood shop when he was a child. He was often asked by his parents to go to the shop in the early evening to get milk or bread. Usually when he started back from the shop, it would be dark, and the street was not lit. As he passed a certain area called the "Bailey woods", he would become very frightened. He had been told by his Uncle that Leprechauns (Irish Faerie Folk) lived in those woods. In fact he said that he often seemed to hear someone calling his name during these trips. He would then run home as fast as he could, thinking "they" would "get him" if he wasn't careful.The Faeries in those woods had been calling him, but he didn't respond and was afraid because he didn't know any better. In 1966, after completing the basic training in Wales, he was again introduced to the Faeries, recognized them from his childhood, became a Welsh Witch, and was adopted into the Tribe of Dynion Mwyn which had kept the old ways.
The above two paragraphs also appear at: http://www.tylwythteg.com/WORD/WORDCH02.html.
The rest of these comparisons below were located at: http://www.tylwythteg.com/bos1.html.
FDG:
Everything I say about Wicca or magic in this essay is specific to Faerie Tradition, which bears little resemblance to most of the Wicca in the United States. As a mater of fact, ANYTHING I say in this essay, PERIOD, is about my tradition, and is specific to the particular branch of Faerie I was taught, and/or to the branch of Faerie that I developed.YTT:
Everything we say about Magick in this introduction is specific to the Welsh Faerie Tradition, which bears little resemblance to most of Wicca in the United States. As a matter of fact, EVERYTHING you read here, PERIOD, is about our tradition, and is specific to the particular branch of Faerie we teach, and/or to the branch of Faerie that was developed by our ancestors.FDG:
Most other Wiccan traditions are based on human magic. Faerie Tradition, by contrast, has been lightly touched by the Fey folk both spiritually and magically. Still, "Faerie Tradition" is something of a misnomer, a contemporary name for something that was once nameless. The magic a Faerie Tradition witch practices is still very human, and is Fey only to lesser or greater degrees depending upon one's personal inclination and teacher. In my teachings, I rarely talk directly about the Little People, though their morals and magic are woven throughout my teachings. The Faerie magic must be subtle or it becomes a parody of itself.YTT:
Most Wiccan traditions are based on human magick. Y Tylwyth Teg, by contrast, has been touched by the Faerie folk both spiritually and magickally. Still, "Faerie Tradition" is something of a misnomer, a contemporary name for something that was once nameless. The magick a Welsh Witch practices is still very human, and is Faerie only to lesser or greater degrees depending upon one's personal inclination and teacher. In our classes, we rarely talk directly about the Little People, though their morals and magick are woven throughout our teachings. The Faerie magick is subtle or it becomes a parody of itself.FDG:
Much of the Wicca in the United States is an outgrowth of the Gardnerian tradition of Wicca, founded in the early 1900s. Gardnerian magic combines British folk magic with ceremonial magic possibly brought to the British Isles from the Near East by the Knights Templar. Another source of American Wicca is the feminist movement. Goddess worship, with its' pro-active magical spells, is a natural expression of feminist spirituality. However, feminist spirituality adapts Wicca to implement a political framework, rather than viewing shamanism as a valid spiritual path and empowerment unto itself. There are also branches of shamanism that are essentially ritualized forms of psychotherapy.In contrast, Faerie Tradition is the witchcraft once practiced by the village shaman, and has been passed down from generation to generation within families. So while it is inherently feminist and builds psychological health, it's origins are far older and distinct from those two twentieth century developments, and it is a process and paradigm until itself.
YTT:
Much of Wicca in the United States is an outgrowth of the Gardnerian tradition of Wicca, founded in 1939-40. Gardnerian magic combines British folk magick with ceremonial magick possibly brought to the British Isles from the Near East by the Knights Templar. Another source of American Wicca is the feminist movement. Goddess worship, with its' pro-active magical spells, is a natural expression of feminist spirituality. However, feminist spirituality adapts Wicca to implement a political framework, rather than viewing Shamanism as a valid spiritual path and empowerment unto itself. There are also branches of Shamanism that are essentially ritualized forms of psychotherapy.In contrast, Y Tylwyth Teg is the Witchcraft once practiced by the village Shaman, and has been passed down from generation to generation within families. So while it is inherently balanced and builds psychological health, it's origins are far older and distinct from twentieth century developments. It is a process and example unto itself.
FDG:
Faerie Tradition is the only Wiccan tradition whose primary goal is deep inner transformation through the religion and science of Wicca. The student -- man or woman -- can do rituals to remove the things inside themselves that block them from prosperity, peace of mind, romance, and happiness. They also can do rituals to achieve internal sense of self. A methodical step-by-step approach not only opens the novice to profound personal change,but is a means of achieving shamanism as an actual spiritual lifestyle. The training in the family took seven years, and was so intensive that, like a college student, a Faerie student might be working on the training full-time.YTT:
Y Tylwyth Teg is a Witchcraft tradition whose primary goal is deep inner transformation through our religion and the science of the Faerie Craft. The student -- man or woman -- can do rituals to remove the things inside themselves that block them from prosperity, peace of mind, romance, and happiness. They also can do rituals to achieve internal sense of self. A methodical step-by-step approach not only opens the seeker to profound personal change, but is a means of achieving Shamanism as an actual spiritual lifestyle. The training in the tribe of Dynion Mwyn takes many years, and is so intensive that, like a college student, a Faerie student might work on the training full-time.FDG p10 paragraph 1 (also at http://www.well.com/user/zthirdrd/FT&3.html well before publication of her book): Faerie Tradition celebrates passion, sexuality, and unique individuality. In the ten years I have taught Faerie Tradition, innumerable students have confided in me: "For the first time ever I feel I have permission to... ." It might have been permission to quit an unsatisfying job, enjoy sex, write poetry, be themselves, stand up to an overbearing parent, travel to Europe, come out of the closet or any number of other things. It doesn't matter what the permission was for; the point is that my students feel they can be fully themselves and live the life they yearn for, sometimes after only one lesson.
YTT:
Y Tylwyth Teg celebrates passion, sexuality, and unique individuality. In the thirty years we have taught the Y Tylwyth Teg Faerie Tradition, innumerable students have confided in us: "For the first time, I feel I have permission to... ." It may have been permission to quit an un-satisfying job, enjoy sex, write poetry, be themselves, stand up to an overbearing parent, travel to Europe, come out of the closet or any number of things. It doesn't matter what the permission was for; the point is that our students feel they can fully be themselves and live a life they have yearned for.[Note in the above example, even the ellipses in YTT's paragraph is EXACTLY the same as in FDG's!!]
FDG:
Faerie Tradition witches have a loving and compassionate Goddess and God, who embrace all humankind as their children, and offer us vitality as their sacred gift. In contrast to some religions that teach us to be ashamed of ourselves and our desires, Faerie Tradition helps you achieve self love and personal goals, and find joy in living.YTT:
Y Tylwyth Teg Witches believe in a loving and compassionate Goddess and God, who embrace all humankind as their children, and offer us vitality as their sacred gift. While Y Tylwyth Teg can help you achieve self love and personal goals, finding joy in living, by contrast, some religions teach you to be ashamed of yourself and your desires.FDG:
Faerie Tradition stresses practical application and improving one's daily lives. The more one uses the tradition for internal growth -- as one learns to do in Faerie Tradition's training -- the more one will clear the way for abundance to manifest on the physical plane. Faerie Tradition also emphasizes using spells to acquire the "good things in life": fun, romance, cars, good food, and other material possessions.YTT:
Y Tylwyth Teg stresses practical application to improve your daily life. The more one uses the tradition for internal growth -- as one learns to do in Y Tylwyth Teg's training -- the more one will clear the way for abundance to manifest on the physical plane. Y Tylwyth Teg also emphasizes using spells to acquire the "good things in life": fun, romance, cars, good food, and other material possessions.FDG:
Faerie Tradition is predominantly a "doing" tradition, its training a hands-on learning instead of much theory. The ability to parrot a teacher's innovative theory reflects only "head" knowledge; Fey knowledge is embodied knowledge. It is a fairly modern assumption prevalent in academia that to talk about something is the same as being able to do it. While theory is important, Faerie is basically understood through hands-on learning: doing ritual and opening one's self to the teacher's fanciful lecturing which consists of story or anecdote, images, and the like.YTT:
Y Tylwyth Teg is predominantly a "working" tradition and is a hands-on learning experience instead of just theory. The ability to imitate a teacher's views reflects only "head" knowledge; Faerie knowledge is internal knowledge.It is a modern assumption prevalent in colleges and schools that to talk about something is the same as being able to do it. While theory is important, Faerie is basically understood through hands-on learning: doing ritual and opening one's self to the teacher's lecturing which consists of story or anecdote, images, and the like.
FDG:
Faerie Tradition is not taught in a linear process. I even have misgivings about writing an essay such as this because, in a sense, when one writes essay style about the tradition, one tells lies. Faerie method of instruction is a complex weave which make Faerie shamans a little puzzling to their students at first. Yet it is also why their trainings are so effective: there is a deep holistic logic involved. A Faerie teacher's weavings might seem like a digression or unusual sequence of topics but are in fact part of a complex, non-linear dance. If a student listens not just with the head, but with the heart, intuition, gut feelings, and anything else he or she wants to bring into the mix, they will get the picture. Faerie students brings their whole being to the experience so can dance with the teacher, the Gods, and the cosmos!YTT:
Y Tylwyth Teg is not taught in a linear process. The Faerie method of instruction is a complex design which makes Welsh Faerie teachers a little puzzling to their students at first. Yet it is also why their training is so effective: there is a deep holistic logic involved. A Faerie teacher's design might seem like a digression or unusual sequence of topics but is in fact part of a complex, non-linear dance. If a student listens not just with the head, but with the heart, intuition, gut feelings, and anything else he or she wants to bring into the mix, they will get the picture. Faerie students bring their whole being to the experience so they can dance with the teacher, the Gods, and the cosmos!FDG:
Having your whole being involved is an essential goal of Faerie Tradition. A goal of its training is that one does rituals, and lives one's daily life, with one's fullest passion and love, with all parts of one's self brought into every situation of the day. It is a way of life. Instead, the contemporary person tends to do things with only part of themselves. A jogger runs, mind a million miles away at a business meeting that happened yesterday. A devoted lover is cut off from emotions so can't be intimate with their partner during sex.YTT:
Having your whole being involved is an essential goal of Y Tylwyth Teg. A goal of its training is that one does rituals, and lives one's daily life, with one's fullest passion and love, with all parts of one's self brought into every situation of the day. It is a way of life.Most people tend to do things with only part of themselves. A jogger runs, with their mind a million miles away at a business meeting that happened yesterday. A devoted lover is cut off from emotions and cannot be intimate with their partner during sex.
FDG:
For all its emphasis on ecstasy, Faerie Tradition. is very disciplined. Another term for "spiritual practices' might be "discipline." We do something over and over until we get good at it, like athletes practice for their games. For people who are looking for an alternative to the harsh, restrictive religions they were raised with, "discipline' can be a scary word. And no wonder: discipline is often abused in this culture, used as a tool to destroy a person's individuality and passion. Yet true discipline give us freedom: dancers know that if they do the necessary stretches first, they can dance joyfully, without restraint. Just so, the discipline of Faerie Tradition can be the key to true personal freedom and joy.[A slightly different version of this paragraph also appears in Be a Goddess, page 21, paragraph 3.]
YTT:
For all its emphasis on ecstasy, Y Tylwyth Teg, is very disciplined. Another term for "spiritual practices" might be "discipline." You do something over and over until you get it right, like athletes practice for their games. For people who are looking for an alternative to the harsh, restrictive religions they grew up with, "discipline' can be a scary word. And no wonder: discipline is often abused in this culture, used as a tool to destroy a person's individuality and passion. Yet true discipline gives us freedom: dancers know that if they do the necessary stretches first, they can dance joyfully, without restraint. Just so, the discipline of Y Tylwyth Teg can be the key to true personal freedom and joy.FDG:
According to Faerie Tradition, the material world is a sacred gift, and the ethical pursuit of bounty and pleasure honors that gift. The Goddess is very down to earth! Love and sex -- ecstasy -- are at the heart of Faerie Tradition. Our tradition explores the sexual Mysteries of the Old Religion, and the Faerie Tradition training helps a student achieve healthy romance and sexuality through a step-by-step approach. Witches are concerned with getting concrete results!YTT:
According to Y Tylwyth Teg, the material world is a sacred gift, and the ethical pursuit of bounty and pleasure honors that gift. The Goddess is very down to earth! Love and sex -- ecstasy -- are at the heart of Y Tylwyth Teg. Our tradition explores the sexual Mysteries of the Old Religion, and the Y Tylwyth Teg training helps a student achieve healthy romance and sexuality through a step-by-step approach. It is very important for you to find that one person who can be your "match." For this reason, Witches are concerned with getting concrete results!FDG:
A unique aspect of Faerie Tradition is that it honors both the Goddess and the God without elevating gender stereotypes into a sacred cosmology.Practical Faerie Tradition also refrains from insisting one cast a magic circle before doing any magic. If I am to use magic as did the village witch -- as a natural part of my day, throughout my day, while getting my dishes washed -- I can't cast a circle for every bit of magic I do.
YTT:
A unique aspect of Y Tylwyth Teg is that it honors both the Goddess and the God in a balanced dance of opposites in a sacred cosmology. Y Tylwyth Teg also refrains from insisting that you cast a magickal circle before doing any individual magick. If we are to use magick as did the village witch -- as a natural part of our day, throughout our day, while getting our dishes washed --we can't cast a circle for every bit of magick We do.FDG:
Faerie Tradition emphasizes personal purity as a primary, regular, and ongoing practice. Crystals, ritual cups, and incense are not only worthless but dangerous unless the primary tool -- one's self -- is fit. Any spell we cast out into the universe first travels through our own beings, and whoever we are shapes that spell. Magic is like any work of art: the artist's character is indelibly printed on the art. So it is with a spell: if you are not fit neither will the spell be. Purification work is also an essential part of Faerie Tradition's approach to inner growth.YTT:
Y Tylwyth Teg emphasizes personal purity as a primary, regular, and ongoing practice. The magickal use of Crystals, ritual cups, and incense are dangerous unless the primary tool -- one's self -- is fit. Any spell we cast out into the universe first travels through our own beings, and whoever we are shapes that spell. Magick is like any work of art: the artist's character is indelibly printed on the art. So it is with a spell: if you are not fit neither will the spell be. Purification work is also an essential part of Y Tylwyth Teg's approach to inner growth.FDG:
Finally, while other Wiccan traditions tend to focus on the excellent magic of human camaraderie and celebration, Faerie Tradition is more geared toward technical skill with psychic matters, and dealing with magical power in a direct way. Being Fey touched, and a more primal form of witchcraft, we tap into a wilder power. So more magical training is the custom.YTT:
Y Tylwyth Teg is geared toward psychic concerns, and deals with strong magickal power. Being Faerie touched, we work with a basic form of witchcraft which needs MORE magickal training, not less.FDG:
As word of the power inherent in Faerie Tradition has spread, increasing numbers of people have wished to study the tradition. I became worried. The Faerie training I was given is not only challenging but dangerous. It is suitable only for people with a certain temperament and psychic makeup, and requires careful, personalized, guidance from a qualified teacher. For example, a student not appropriate to the training could enter into realms of spirit that might leave their mind unhinged. And some of the training rituals are geared towards emotional shifts in the psyche that most people are better off not experiencing. Faerie Tradition offers a drastic training, appropriate only to the desperate seeker who can gain the healing and power he or she needs in no other way. Therefore, I approached Victor Anderson with an idea for a novel way of teaching Faerie Tradition that would be safe and suitable for the public. I wanted to focus on what the average person of ancient times learned how to do: live close to the earth; work with magic in a simple, practical way; and apply the mystic to the everyday. My new system would offer the benefits of Faerie Tradition I have listed thus far. I would include rituals Victor had taught me and traditional teaching modes in a system touched by the Fey Folk and as traditional as always.YTT:
As our reputation has spread, people have wished to study the Welsh tradition. But, Welsh Faerie training is dangerous. Only certain people seem to be able to conquer its many challenges. Y Tylwyth Teg offers training which is appropriate to the needs of the individual seeker who gains a healing power he or she can obtain in no other way.Therefore, in order to allow the average seeker to experience Y Tylwyth Teg, we have created a correspondence course that focuses on ancient knowledge: how to live close to Mother Earth; how to work with Natural Magick; and applyingthis knowledge to their everyday lives.
Last but not least, and perhaps the most revealing of all in terms of YTT's claims about their origins:
| FDG: | YTT: |
|---|---|
I called my curriculum "The Third Road," because instead of the "either/or" answers offered by most religions, I teach a dialectic between so-called opposites. Below is a list I have used for years to teach that dialectic. Without in depth lecture, the chart might be a bit obscure or misleading, but I include it in the hopes that it gets a basic idea across.
|
We call our course "The Thirteen Treasures," because the thirteen lessons reveal the secrets of finding the Grael of Immortality.
We also teach that everything seeks for a balance of opposites. The following list should give you a basic idea:
|