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Our Group Guidelines
| Q. How is the New Beginnings organized? |
| A.The New Beginnings Pagan Recovery Support Group is supported by Wiccan Interfaith |
| Council members, who are personally involved or want to provide service to those in recovery. Our Group Guidelines: |
| "6. New Beginnings is organized to guarantee its functioning as a Pagan-based recovery program." |
| Q. Why 11 steps? |
| A. Numerology teaches us that the Master Number 11 operates on a higher, more intense level of awareness |
| and personal completion, representing a continued mastery over our problem of addiction. |
| Q. What is New Beginnings definition of addiction? |
| A. Addiction can include the habitual, repetitive, or compulsive use of any activity, substance, or person. Some |
| forms of addiction may manifest as issues with chaotic, erratic, or controlling behavior. Other expressions of addiction are |
| alcohol, drugs, codependency, sex, shopping, gambling, overeating, and workaholism. |
| Q. How can NB help me with my problem? |
| A. We encourage those from diverse Pagan paths and traditions to share their struggles and successes, |
| through the prism of Paganism. |
| Q. How is New Beginnings Pagan Recovery different from the mainstream 12 step programs? |
| A. Often Pagans and Wiccans feel an emotional disconnect with a program that doesn’t include acknowledgement |
| and expression of our Nature-based religions. Why? As stated in Many Roads, One Journey, by Charlotte |
| Davis Kasl, Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson created the first 12 step program, "influenced |
| by white, male, middle-class Christian values of the 1930s". Bill's wife, Lois, began Al-Anon in 1951, using the AA model |
| to help the wives and families of alcoholics to recover from their issues of co-dependency, anger, and controlling behaviors. |
| That being said, traditional 12 step programs tend to have Christian overtones that impact its spiritual objective. |
| One example of this is the entirety of their literature identifying a Higher Power as a singular male and is written |
| in male-centered language. In our experience, this can cause us as Pagans, women, and GLBT, to feel very isolated at times. |
| Pagan-based Recovery means we draw strength from our Divine Power, to achieve recovery |
| in the spirit of active participation. This can be expressed through ritual, guided meditation, and |
| any other activities used to create a connection between our Gods and ourselves. As we honor the Universal Spirit, |
| we can also honor and celebrate our own recovery. |
| Q. Do I have to be a member of the Wiccan Interfaith Council to participate in New Beginnings? |
| A. No. All participants in a New Beginnings Women's Group are just that - active participants in their own recovery, |
| within a "support" group. We don't refer to anyone as a "member" of New Beginnings. |
| Q. What happens at a New Beginnings Women's Group meeting? |
| A.Meetings include a healing activity, discussion and sharing our stories of recovery, exploring our current choices |
| and how they impact our healing. |
| Q. Who can serve as a New Beginnings sponsor? |
| A.A New Beginnings sponsor goes through a short orientation, to ensure that they are sufficiently prepared to take on the |
| role of guiding a new participant towards their recovery through the Eleven Steps. This serves to protect both the new participant |
| and Sponsor from any potential abuse or manipulation. |
| Q. What is a “Step” program? |
| A. A step working program focuses on a group of people who come together for mutual support as we’re healing ourselves from |
| addictions that are both physical and behavioral. The New Beginnings Eleven Steps are statements that are specifically created to |
| encourage spiritual growth and healing. |
| Q. What is a New Beginnings sponsor? |
| A. A New Beginnings Sponsor is a guide who helps to mentor you during your recovery program. Your sponsor has worked |
| the Eleven Steps themselves and is actively working their program by attending meetings, working with their own sponsor, reading |
| literature, and providing service within New Beginnings, their own group, and/or community. |
| Q. What type of literature does New Beginnings use? |
| A. New Beginnings incorporates several types of literature for instruction and guidance: |
| 1. The New Beginnings Eleven Steps and Eleven Group Guidelines. |
| 2. Our New Beginnings Step Five Inventory Workbook. |
| 3. Our New Beginnings Sponsorship Orientation Checklist. |
| 4. Supplemental Pagan-based Recovery literature - rituals, poems, liturgy, meditations, articles, worksheets, etc. - that have been |
| created by participants of New Beginnings Pagan Recovery Support Group, for specific use in sharing circles and meetings. Any other |
| general Pagan-based literature (books, etc.) must either be Public Domain or adhere to copyright laws/permissions for general use, |
| as photo copies WILL NOT be made available for commercial or private use. |
| Q. Does New Beginnings use any motivational sayings as Recovery aids? |
| A. Yes! We have an ever-growing list of New Beginnings Recovery Affirmations for use as tools for meditation |
| and redirecting our thoughts and behaviors. |
