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"By the air of your sweet breath, speak to me of serenity
and by the fire of your bright spirit, share a spark of courage
By the waters of your womb, cleanse me in healing wisdom
and by the earth that is your body, empower my spirit in transformation."

New Beginnings Pagan Recovery Blog

Our Eleven Step ProgramOur Group Guidelines
Statement of Purpose and FAQs

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.


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sharing, or distributing is forbidden, without written permission from the Wiccan Interfaith Council International.

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