A Comparison Between The Spiral Steps & The 12 Steps of AA

Step #

Spiral Steps

12 Steps

We admitted that we had a problem and made the decision to reclaim our lives.

FOCUS: HONESTY

Admitted that we were powerless over our addictions and that our lives had become unmanageable.

We came to believe that there was hope for healing, health and balance.

FOCUS: HOPE

Believed that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3.

We now honor our connection with the divine, as we understand it, and we accept the process of change.

FOCUS: COURAGE

Made the decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood him.

4.

We make a searching, fearless and honest inventory of our behavior and beliefs.

FOCUS: INSIGHT

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5.

We admit to ourselves and to another human being what is both healthy and unhealthy in our lives and we make a daily commitment to heal ourselves in body, mind and spirit.

FOCUS: COMPASSION

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6.

We are willing to seek our Highest Good and to grow both spiritual and emotionally.

FOCUS: INTEGRITY

We entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7.

We let go of dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors and we consciously welcome joy, love and peace into our lives.

FOCUS: FREEDOM

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8.

We make a list of all beings we have harmed, including ourselves, and we become willing to make amends to them all.

FOCUS: JUSTICE

Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9.

We work to restore balance in our lives. We make direct amends to others whenever possible and we value and care for ourselves.

FOCUS: BALANCE

Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would harm them or others.

10.

We continue to take personal inventory and promptly acknowledge both our mistakes and our achievements whenever they occur.

FOCUS: EMOTIONAL AWARENESS

Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.

11.

We continue to grow in compassion, strength and understanding. We learn to celebrate our lives and our connection to all living things.

FOCUS: SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12

Having had a spiritual and emotional awakening, we work to help others along the path and we practice these principles in all our affairs.

FOCUS: SERVICE

Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principals in all our affairs.

13

We seek to find our Calling and to develop the will and the wisdom to follow it.

FOCUS: WISDOM

A Comparison Between the Spiral Traditions and the 12 Traditions of AA

Tradition #

Spiral Traditions

12 Traditions of AA

A spiral Steps Group has one primary purpose; to provide a safe and supportive place for those who wish to focus on our own health and healing.

FOCUS: PURPOSE

Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on AA unity.

2

For our group purpose, there is but on authority – a Loving Spirit as expressed in our group conscious.

FOCUS: GROUP CONSCIENCE

For our group purpose there is but one authority – a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

3.

The only requirements for membership are respect for the ethics embodied in Earth Wise Spirituality and a sincere desire for health and healing.

FOCUS: ACCEPTANCE

The only requirement for AA membership is the desire to stop drinking.

4.

We affirm that these are non-cross talk meetings. This means that we share our experience, strength and hop and that we use “I message” when we share. It is not necessary that w agree with each member’s opinion because we “take what we need and leave the rest”.

FOCUS: RESPECT

Each group should be autonomous except in matters that affect other groups or AA as a whole.

5.

We each pledge to honor our own boundaries and to respect the boundaries of the other people in this group. In this way we honor our need for community and protect our rights as individuals.

FOCUS: COMMUNITY

Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

6.

A Spiral Steps Group out never to let personal, social or political issues divert us from our primary purpose.

FOCUS: TOLERANCE

An AA group is never to endorse, finance or lend the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise lest problems of money, property or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7.

We honestly acknowledge the problems in our lives in order to grow and heal. At the same time, we keep our primary focus on the solutions.

FOCUS: EMPOWERMENT

Every AA group out to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8.

We respect the right of each member to seek outside sources of healing for their body, mind and spirit. This includes nutritional counseling, individual therapy, medical care and the various alternative forms of healing available to us.

FOCUS: HEALING

Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional but our Service Centers may employ special workers.

9.

Each Spiral Steps Group is to be fully self-supporting. Group members take turns leading the weekly meetings. As leaders we act as trusted servants, we do not govern.

FOCUS: ORGANIZATION

AA, as such, ought never to be organized but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10.

Spiral Steps has no opinion on other issues, Paths or Traditions. Hence our group ought never be drawn into public controversy.

FOCUS: NEUTRALITY

Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never to be drawn into public controversy.

11.

Anonymity builds the trust that serves as our group’s foundation. What we hear here, let it stay here.

FOCUS: ANONYMITY

Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather then promotion, we need always to maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.

12.

We agree to place “Principals before Personalities” in all of our dealings with one another.

FOCUS: ETHICS

Anonymity is the foundation of all of our traditions, ever reminding us to place principals before personalities.

13.

We respect the right of each individual to follow their chosen Spiritual Path; accepting that each person’s path is the right one for them.

FOCUS: WISDOM

Tradition #	Spiral Traditions	12 Traditions of AA
	A spiral Steps Group has one primary purpose; to provide a safe and supportive place for those who wish to focus on our own health and healing. FOCUS: PURPOSE	Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on AA unity.
2	For our group purpose, there is but on authority – a Loving Spirit as expressed in our group conscious. FOCUS: GROUP CONSCIENCE	For our group purpose there is but one authority – a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3.	The only requirements for membership are respect for the ethics embodied in Earth Wise Spirituality and a sincere desire for health and healing. FOCUS: ACCEPTANCE	The only requirement for AA membership is the desire to stop drinking.
4.	We affirm that these are non-cross talk meetings. This means that we share our experience, strength and hop and that we use “I message” when we share. It is not necessary that w agree with each member’s opinion because we “take what we need and leave the rest”. FOCUS: RESPECT	Each group should be autonomous except in matters that affect other groups or AA as a whole.
5.	We each pledge to honor our own boundaries and to respect the boundaries of the other people in this group. In this way we honor our need for community and protect our rights as individuals. FOCUS: COMMUNITY	Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
6.	A Spiral Steps Group out never to let personal, social or political issues divert us from our primary purpose. FOCUS: TOLERANCE	An AA group is never to endorse, finance or lend the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise lest problems of money, property or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7.	We honestly acknowledge the problems in our lives in order to grow and heal. At the same time, we keep our primary focus on the solutions. FOCUS: EMPOWERMENT	Every AA group out to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8.	We respect the right of each member to seek outside sources of healing for their body, mind and spirit. This includes nutritional counseling, individual therapy, medical care and the various alternative forms of healing available to us. FOCUS: HEALING	Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional but our Service Centers may employ special workers.
9.	Each Spiral Steps Group is to be fully self-supporting. Group members take turns leading the weekly meetings. As leaders we act as trusted servants, we do not govern. FOCUS: ORGANIZATION	AA, as such, ought never to be organized but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10.	Spiral Steps has no opinion on other issues, Paths or Traditions. Hence our group ought never be drawn into public controversy. FOCUS: NEUTRALITY	Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never to be drawn into public controversy.
11.	Anonymity builds the trust that serves as our group’s foundation. What we hear here, let it stay here. FOCUS: ANONYMITY	Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather then promotion, we need always to maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
12.	We agree to place “Principals before Personalities” in all of our dealings with one another. FOCUS: ETHICS	Anonymity is the foundation of all of our traditions, ever reminding us to place principals before personalities.
13.	We respect the right of each individual to follow their chosen Spiritual Path; accepting that each person’s path is the right one for them. FOCUS: WISDOM