13 Step Path 1. We admitted we lost our power in Patriarchy; that our lives became dysfunctional as a result 2. Acknowledged we could be restored to wholeness through a natural healing process 3. Became willing to reclaim our power & authenticity with the guidance of higher powers & like-minded sisters 4. Took an honest inventory of our resentment and fear to uncover the root causes of our unhealthy behaviors and discover the truth about ourselves 5. Revealed it all to a trusted mentor 6. Became willing to let go of all dysfunctions, discard unhealthy behaviors, & embrace ourselves with love and acceptance 7. Invited the spirits of change and transformation to banish all barriers to our healing & restore us to wholeness, balance, harmony & empowerment 8. Looked at ways we harmed ourselves & others and became willing to mend our lives 9. Made direct amends wherever & whenever possible 10. Continue to take personal inventory; mend our lives; claim our hearts desires and follow the dictates of our soul 11. Continue to deepen our connection with the divine through spiritual or magical practices of our choice, asking only for guidance, vision, wisdom and power to carry out what's best for all 12. Being graced with transformation & restoration, we share our experience, strength & hope with all who ask & strive to be of maximum service to humanity 13. We honor Spirit & Nature as the Immanent Life Force, claim our divinity, respect natural laws, follow our path of heart, practice our craft wisely, Doing as we will, with harm to none. Blessed Be |
The Resurrection Some say I'm a miracle to that I would agree, for I was born a spirit-being happy, joyous, free... But sadly I was hypnotized, shamed & blamed & criticized 'til false beliefs and twisted lies were all I came to recognize I wanted truth & love's embrace but self-destruction took its place hence, I became my enemy imprisoned by disharmony... In fear and rage I sought relief that led to heartache, loss & grief, but at the end, in deep despair I cried for help with pleading prayer Thru powers of grace I came to find hope & trust & peace of mind, the Steps became my destiny releasing my insanity, And from the ashes I did rise to find a Goddess in disguise & with the light of soul displayed I came to honor Ancient Ways Now Nature's laws I do abide with kindred spirits at my side sharing rich discoveries in service to humanity... Yes, I'd say I'm a miracle with many blessings be At last my sacred spirit-being is happy, joyous, free! ~ Silverwitch ~ |
13 Step Path Story In the Spring of 1985, while taking a Nature walk, I had a profound mystical experience that revealed my connection with our Ancient Mother, the Goddess. At the time I was very active in a 12 Step Program, attending meetings on a daily basis, healing from years of dysfunctional living, cleaning up the wreckage of my past, sponsoring women in recovery and working in the Chemical Dependency Field. This extraordinary epiphany changed the course of my life for it drastically altered my consciousness in a matter of minutes, swept away every old idea and religious belief that once held sway in my mind, and revealed that I was one with Mother Nature, made in her image and likeness, and sacred as a woman. I was then inspired to reclaim my pagan roots and enter the Ministry to further my religious studies. It was then that I began researching books about the ancient pre-christian religions and earth-based traditions. As I studied I became absorbed, amazed to find that these ancient ways mirrored my soul, resonated with who I was, with who I had always been. So I dedicated myself to the Goddess under a bright full moon one night, and began reclaiming ancient ways along with my recovery program. It wasn't long before other recovering sisters began taking notice and started approaching me with curiosity and questions. This is how The Sacred Circle began 25 years ago, and along with it, our 13 Step Path. The Sacred Circle has a strong commitment to Recovery & Women's Spirituality. It was born out of a growing need for women to back away from patriarchal belief systems that keep us codependent and dysfunctional, while reclaiming our power within to heal at the deepest levels. Like any collective working together for change and transformation, sacred bonds of love & trust develop, strengthen and deepen through the years. Today, we not only enjoy a solid core of support but binding threads of sisterhood, love, magic, dedication and commitment as we continue welcoming women seeking sanctuary, divine reconnection, deeper healing, and restoration in their lives. The Sacred Circle is not a replacement for 12-Step Programs. It's an enhancement. The Program saved my life as well as many sisters in the circle, so we continue to work a program and offer our support to all women who need recovery. 12 Step Programs deal with various addictions while providing the support needed to all who suffer from seemingly hopeless states of mind and body. But since 12 Step Programs were created by men, for men, many issues unique to a women's recovery are not recognized or addressed. When Bill Wilson wrote the 12 Steps in 1939, he wrote them with a man's recovery in mind, because in those days women's addictions were never seen publicly. Women weren't visible in society like they are today. They stayed mainly in the home with limited resources and no social, political or economic power. Today, we have thousands of women in 12 Step Fellowships, and it's important to address the issues unique to us if we want to heal at the deepest levels. 12 Step fellowships consist mainly of white, middle-class Christian males who dominate meetings with men's views and god-talk so it can be very hard on women and men alike who honor other spiritual paths. Also, the safety of a women's meeting or circle makes all the difference in the world to women who do not resonate with the concepts of patriarchal religion or who are searching for a spiritual path that speaks to their needs as women. Many women don't have problems relating to male images of deity, in fact some find them quite comforting, but there are others that do not find comfort in these images, and may need a different view or a safe place to explore or discover a spirituality that may bring them a deeper comfort or that will mirror their sacredness as women. Our 13 Steps and Traditions were created of this growing need because many women need to discover and embrace their own spirituality and may find it difficult to do in environments that are male-dominated, especially when these systems made us sick or dysfunctional in the first place. When creating the 13 Step Path for The Sacred Circle... I didn't want to substitute one religious metaphor for another. I felt the term "higher power" was sufficient and would also give everyone the opportunity to define divinity for themselves. I did give Mother Nature a special Step of her own, however, because she's been suppressed and neglected by humanity far too long and it's time we acknowledge the feminine principle that brings forth all life in this realm of time & space, and that includes the lives of all the avatars, gurus, popes, chiefs, kings and prophets! So Please Join us... All Women are Welcome! The greatest gift a woman can possess is to know herself! So please join us... All Women are Welcome!.... Mama J |
PAGAN TWELVE STEPS 1. We recognize that we have given away personal power by addiction to substances, that this has resulted in dysfunctional living, that it's time to reclaim our power and restore balance to ourselves and our lives. 2. Came to acknowledge that the Divine Power within can bring about healing change and harmony 3. Chose to allow the Divine within of our own personal path to be the central guiding force in ourselves and our lives. 4. Examined ourselves deeply and honestly on all dimensions, physical, mental, behavioral, emotional, and spiritual. 5. Acknowledged to the Divine, to our egos, and to at least one ally, what is unhealthy and unbalanced in our bodies, thoughts, emotions, behaviors & souls. 6. Were ready for the Divine within to work transformation to restore balance to ourselves and our lives. 7. Sincerely invited the Divine within to dispel barriers to change, and to facilitate transformation 8. Made a lists of all beings we have harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such beings as much as possible, except when to do so would cause harm to them or others or make a difficult situation worse. 10. Continued our process of self-examination, acknowledging our strengths as well as our problems, promptly acknowledging our mistake & successes when they occurred. 11. Sought through spiritual activities such as rituals, meditations, chanting, dancing, rhythm making, invocations, prayers, vigils, nature walks, journal writing, and other practices, to strengthen our relationship with the Divine within and to allow this dimension of ourselves to be the guiding force in our lives. 12 . Having had a spiritual rebirth as a result of this process of healing transformation, we continue to work with these principles and are willing to share our story with those who come to us in need. by Selena Fox Circle Sanctuary.org |
13 Shamanic Steps
1. Admitted I was miserable; that my soul was unfulfilled;
that I gave my personal power away to outside forces
that I knew in my heart were wrong or destructive to me.
2. Came to believe that the power of Great Spirit could
restore me to wholeness, balance and harmony within
3. Made a decision to heal my life with assistance
from my spiritual guides, in this world & beyond,
& by opening up to the healing powers of Mother Nature
4. Took a personal inventory of myself to honestly
evaluate my ways of thinking, feeling and behaving
& to examine the root causes of my problems.
5. Shared my new awareness with the Great Mystery,
along with a human being or elder that I trusted,
and became receptive to good counsel and direction.
6. Became ready to let go of all that no longer served me
& willing to make the changes necessary to be true to myself
7. Asked my spirit guides to reveal my sacred path,
by removing all barriers to my healing and transformation,
so I could walk with dignity and live in a good way
8. Took an honest look at how I related with other beings on Earth;
became willing to amend the harms I caused myself and others
as well as heal from any harm done to me.
9. Took action to heal my life, to do what it right for me,
to mend all relationships I am not in harmony with while
making sure I didn't cause further harm in the process.
10. Continued to examine my life and make progress;
to take counsel when needed and correct my mistakes,
so I can walk in a sacred way on our Earth Mother.
11. Seek through prayers, ceremonies and ancient traditions
to improve my spiritual life, asking only to live with good purpose
12. Out of gratitude for my healing and transformation...
I will strive to be of service to all my relations on Mother Earth
and offer my love, understanding and assistance when it is needed.
13. I will continue honoring the spiritual traditions of my ancestors
the power of the four directions and path of the sacred hoop;
while striving to live in peace with all of my relations.
Mama Silverwitch
13 Steps for Wisewomen by JoAnna Silverwitch 1. Admitted I lost my power in Patriarchal Systems, that my life became destructive and unbearable as a result 2. Knew deep within that I could be restored to wholeness by reclaiming my divinity within and the ways of the Earth 3. Made a decision to reclaim my authenticity by aligning myself with the cycles of Nature and retrieving the lost fragments of my soul 4. Looked deeply and honestly at my life, naming all that prevented me from living my truth and following the promptings of my soul 5. Shared all discoveries with a trusted mentor while remaining teachable and open to council 6. Become entirely ready to stop all self-defeating behaviors; strive for progress rather than perfection; honor myself above all, and heal at the deepest levels 7. Invoked the divine powers of all life to banish all barriers to my restoration so I could live in balance and harmony with nature, myself and others 8. Examined all wrongs done to myself and others 9. Righted all wrongs to the best of my ability except when to do so would cause harm to myself or others 10. Continued uncovering, discovering, discarding and amending while honoring the desires of my heart and soul and living in the present with gratitude. 11. Continued deepening my connection with the Divine through spiritual, mystical and magical practices of my choice while fulfilling my unique gifts, talents and purpose. 12. Being restored to my authentic divine nature I share my experience, strength and hope with others while being of maximum service to my community 13. I honor the myself above all, Celebrate the seasons and cycles of Mother Nature, Honor My unique Mysteries and Rites of Passage, And do as I please, with harm to none. Blessed Be |
13 Simple Steps of Recovery 1. We admitted that our lives needed healing, that we were powerless over people, places or things outside ourselves, including certain substances. 2. We believe we can be restored to wholeness 3. We acknowledge we are spiritual beings & trust in the laws of Nature for healing. 4. We write our resentments, fear, shame & guilt to get to the root of our dysfunctions 5. We share our discoveries with a trusted person who has been through this process 6. We become willing to stop all dysfunctional behavior & make progress as we go along 7. We follow the guidance of our inner wisdom & create new and fulfilling ways to live our life 8. We become willing to mend all wrongs & follow the desires of our heart 9. We take action to clean up the past, righting all wrongs to ourselves and others so we can live freely in the present 10. We continue to mend, learn, change and grow, while living in the NOW with gratitude 11. We continue to improve our spiritual lives so we can live in balance and harmony, inside & out 12. We continue sharing our stories & progress with others in our recovering community 13. We continue to love ourselves, above all, while honoring the ways of the Earth and all living things by Mama Silverwitch |
Traditional Steps of Recovery 1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions; that our lives had become unmanageable 2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to a Higher Power of our own understanding. 4. Made a searching & fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to our Higher Power, ourselves, and another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have our Higher Powers remove these defects of character 7. Humbly asked our Higher Powers to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with Higher Powers, praying only for the knowledge of the right way for us and for the power to carry it out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 13. Continued to be true to ourselves; to honor the Laws of Nature and Spirit while living with reverence for the Earth and all beings in the great web of life. |
Great Spirit, Grant us the Serenity to accept the things we cannot change; Courage to change the things we can; and Wisdom to know the difference. |
