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What was the religion that your loved ones of origin practiced? List the optimistic and negative facets of your loved ones's religion. Recall some of your handiest pals from childhood or youth. Describe what you loved handiest about them and what they liked handiest about you? Do you believe that these characteristics have any relationship to a Higher Power? Explain. Describe any desires that you've got had about a "Higher Power" or God, and what they recommend to you.
2. Came to accept as true with that a power greater than ourselves may neatly restore us to sanity
The wounded healer is an archetypal dynamic that may neatly also be constellated in an analytic relationship. Whereas sponsors don't practice psychoanalysis without a license like they do in the psychotherapeutic relationship of sponsor and sponsee, what we once in a while have in neatly-liked, in spite of the verified truth that, is a relationship with these we sponsor that lasts for years and infrequently the duration of our lives. The time period wounded healer derives from the legend of Asclepius, a Greek doctor who in attractiveness of his own wounds established a sanctuary at Epidaurus where others may neatly be healed of theirs. The wounded healers in the 12-step environment are sponsors, and sponsors are addicts, and addicts personify two archetypes--the puer aeternus and the trickster.
7. Humbly ask the team to help remove our shortcomings
Under Ezine Articles entitled Spiritual Experience. This is authentic research where I interviewed and tape-recorded addicts and alcoholics, asking that they tell me about their spiritual experiences. Homework:
The trickster in spite of the verified truth which is more clear because tricksters are persistently on the con, and their behaviors are wide and varied. A respectable example is the addict who steals his friend's dope, then helps him seek for it. Here's an allegory of the wily trickster--the coyote:
Have you had any broken relationships? If so, describe them and the way they hurt others or you. Describe any grudges, anger or resentment that you've got over these relationships. Have you ever behaved self-righteously? Explain. Was this justified? What caused you to commence your addictive behavior? Describe circumstances, feelings, events or americans that were an element of your lifestyles basically in the past your addictive way of living. Have you held grudges? Did you get revenge? If so, provide an explanation for and include whether or now not someone else was hurt. Describe the faults that you most detest in others. Do you've got any of these traits your self?
Can you recall a time when your lifestyles was heading in the incorrect course? If so, what brought you back? Describe this in detail. How would you describe your outlook and beliefs related to humanity? What are your favorite sources of wisdom and knowledge about healthy values? If you were stranded on a desolate tract island with solely one book, which book would you're taking? Why? If you had solely one week to live and limitless equipment, who would you gather round you and the way would you pass the time? Write a full page of what you desire to your obituary to say.
The Twelve Steps:
Once the list is made, and the indispensable homework in connection to the list, then the sponsee is ready to commence a process that once in a while takes years. This is a kind of steps that does now not persistently get finished, but it be necessary to keep it in mind and apply it whenever the opportunity arises. Homework:
Puer and trickster psychology of the chemically dependent is a cultural phenomenon. From the time I began employing, it didn't matter where I went, I may neatly spot americans of my own ilk. Going to prison wasn't one or more a danger because my class of americans was there (read my autobiographical sketch, No Ordinary Happiness @ http://wwwScumbagSewerRats.com
Alchemy has a records stretching back at least 2,500 years and has been practiced in Eastern, Arabic and Western societies. Historically, alchemists were more interested in the chemical techniques, others in the philosophical facets, and a few saw alchemy as a path to the true that suggests of Christianity, while others saw the decisions of generating medicines and different concoctions. A more comprehensive insurance plan of alchemy may neatly be discovered on any search engine.
Archetypes & Culture:
5. Admitted to our sponsor or to another human being the specific nature of our wrongs
What have you heard in meetings that you've got in truth selected to ignore because possibly you didn't like who was speaking? What different defects will be most challenging to provide up? In what order do you plan to provide them up? What kind of circumstances, stressors or pressures cause you to regress back into your defects of persona? What can you do to lessen the likelihood of that stress occurring? What makes you lose hope? Can you retain away from such circumstances? If so, how? What (particular person, scenario, event, thought) restores your hope? Describe in detail how you believe your lifestyles will be diverse without your defects of persona. What are you grateful for? (I've heard it said that grateful americans are chuffed americans). When were you the happiest? Describe your typical day's events in terms of how lots time you spend on each class of endeavor. Describe your typical day's events if you knew that you had solely 365 days to live. Have you made up our minds how lots time you spend with loved ones? What can you do to contribute to the anima mundi (soul of the sector)--making the sector a stronger place?
1. We admitted we were powerless over addiction--that our lives had turn into unmanageable
The first material of alchemy, the prima materia (primal material), is a substance known to all but recognized by solely the astute. The outward kind of the prima materia ought to be destroyed since it is pure chaos. Treatment of the prima materia in the alchemical vessel by heat leads to its death, a second known as the nigredo,' or blackening. With a methodical treatment and heat, the prima materia whitens,' indicating that the elixir is perfected in its first degree, a second known as the albedo,' or whitening. To attain the gold-promising tincture of the sun, added treatment is necessary until the elixir reddens, which is referred to as the rubedo.' There is also a citrinitas,' a yellowing in the same old process, but it is never very used in most texts that delineates the alchemical process, rather the mental and philosophical treatises, and more specifically to the means of which I will correlate to this related to the alchemical means of recovery from addiction.
11. Sought simply by introspection or meditation to elevate our conscious contact with humanity
History:
Like the fourth and fifth steps, the next two action steps are vital for an enduring peace of mind, and indispensable for the third conuinctio. It's most unlikely that any one can live a chuffed and productive lifestyles if they're carrying round unresolved baggage. The third conuinctio is our closing destination, but we've got the rest of our lives to sustain it. The third conuinctio is the philosopher's stone, individuation of the recovery process--the Gold. Homework:
Timing is a vital factor in inner alchemy. Twelve-steppers have noticed over and over that a member will hear a particular thing clearly solely when the time is true. Sponsors may neatly also without quit indicate a particular thing with no results. Then the sponsee comes informs him that she or he has discovered out a respectable truth which is exactly what the sponsor had been trying to get throughout all along. Timing is a respectable mystery, for it cannot be managed by us. At a definite second, an experience that might have been unattainable a week in the past unfolds with no issue. The alchemists warned that each one haste was of the satan; rushing violates the slow evolution that accords with time. As the Chinese philosophers neatly knew, to be in accord with the time make the difference between success and failure. It's now not conducive to our recovery to triumph over ourselves up when his happens, but it is conducive to our recovery to listen to what's being said in meetings and by sponsors. Homework:
The third conuinctio is the transformation from recovering to recovered. This can take anyplace from about six months to many years, and infrequently it never happens. There are these too who even stay in the range one-abstinence stage (albedo) indefinitely, and a regression can happen during any stage of transformation. There are also these who return to the chaos of the negredo--that prima materia that existed prior to the recovery process, which may neatly be translated as relapse.
In the previous days sheep farmers tried to eliminate wolves and coyotes by putting out animal carcasses laced with strychnine. The wolves, they say, were killed in immoderate quality numbers, having said that the coyotes wised up and avoided these traps. Another story has it that when trappers set steel leg traps they will catch muskrat and mink and fox and skunk, having said that the coyote solely infrequently ever. Coyotes develop their own relationship to the lure; as one naturalist has written, "it is challenging to escape the conclusion that coyotes . . . have a sense of humor. How else to provide an explanation for, for instance, the neatly-known propensity of experienced coyotes to dig up traps, turn them over, and urinate or defecate on them?"
Have you been ready to reach out to another recovering addict? If so, describe the scenario and the way it feels to you. What do you are saying if someone asked how the 12-step program has worked for you? How do you normally deal with clash? Do you recognize of any way to be easier in clash selection? If so, how would you turn into easier? How lots time are you willing to devote to working with others on their program? What outside equipment can you call on when you prefer assistance as a sponsor? Do you desire to to be a sponsor? List the causes why or why now not.
The principal goal of sponsorship is to advertising and marketing consultant the newcomer simply by the 12-steps. There are many options to this.
Adolescents normally live for the second. Practicing addicts and alcoholics also live for the second. Emotionally, addicts and alcoholics act like youngsters and are in many instances talked about as adolescent in behavior and attitude. After all, countless worries that they are attempting with are the same that face youngsters. The difference is that addicts stay trapped in a teen stage as lengthy as their affliction is in progress. Though this describes the addict, it also describes the puer aeternus. Von Franz sees eye to eye--she says that "in general, the man who is pointed out with the archetype of the puer aeternus remains too lengthy in adolescent psychology."
The cultural ethos of 12-step classes is comparable. We can go to a assembly and get help from americans almost like us. Those who adapt to the ethos of 12-step classes normally get better. Hopefully we can put a dent in the quantity of americans who leave, or don't attempt 12-step classes, due to their discomfort with the entire God talk--which is the explanation I've improved the alchemical method of recovery employing the twelve steps. I am fascinated with alchemy and 12-step classes, and I accept as true with this alternative method is an effective option for individuals who are interested.
Usually by this time the sponsor could have already witnessed the contents of the alchemical vessel redesign from the blackening of the nigredo to the whitening of the albedo. The sponsor will refer to him at what point of the alchemical process he's at--if he has internalized his recovery as an alchemical process and recognizes the value of the transformation of the 2d conuinctio, then they will continue their journey of transformation. Hopefully the sponsee has internalized the death of his previous self and the birth of the new. The clever thing about the fourth and fifth steps, if the sponsee is a success, are the completion of the 2d conuinctio--the whitening of the alchemical vessel has turned red. He is in the rubedo phase.
In a way, sponsorship is practicing psychotherapy without a license. Unlike therapists, in spite of the verified truth that, sponsors don't get paid for it. Members of 12-step classes have been practicing psychotherapy without a license for the explanation that 30s under the guise of sponsorship. With this mannequin of sponsorship, transformation simply by the alchemical process may neatly be achieved employing a transformed version of the steps.
If we were contumacious (assholes) during our addiction, then this step serves as a monitor to keep us in examine and now not be that way anymore. Everybody needs introspection, but far from one and all participates in this spiritual notion. The world we are living in may neatly be regarded as hostile or amicable. We can't receive the extent of individuation--the Gold--we desire if we don't view our fellow guys and females as partners moderately than antagonists. Homework:
When a newcomer ask someone to sponsor them, that somebody sets the parameters of the sponsorship. Here's a crude example: I would ask the newcomer to squat down and quack like a duck round an entire football container. If he tells me where to stick the football container, then I will not sponsor him. Outlaw motorcycle gangs and college fraternities do comparable things. Anyway, his first homework assignment will be for him to read some literature on alchemy, then provide me a report on it.
4. Made a hunting and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the effect of these steps, we tried to maintain this message to addicts, and to practice these concepts in all our affairs
What meaningful relationships did you destroy or damage due to your addiction? List all these that you've got possibly harmed by your addiction. List the influence on them as and on you and in your relationship with them. Take the list of americans that you've got harmed and list conceivable amends for each of them. What consequences do you fear in making amends? List the worst and the handiest things which may happen? What is possibly going to happen? Do you sense angry or resentful toward any americans in your amends list? If so, write them a letter of anger, but don't ship it to them. Describe any different techniques that you've got used to eliminate the anger and resentment toward anyone in your list. Depth psychology is the psychology of the unconscious, which desires are an element. Describe any desires, if any, that relate to creating amends to others.
Have you critically damaged your relationships with different americans due to your addiction? If so, list the relationships and the way you damaged them. If different americans have told you the way you've got hurt them, write down what they said. Describe times and techniques that you've got greatly uncared for or damaged relationships with your loved ones in order to indulge in your addiction. Describe any health concerns caused by your addiction. Describe incidents where you expressed inappropriate anger toward different americans. Describe embarrassing or humiliating incidents in your lifestyles related to your addiction. Describe attempts that you've got made in the past to manipulate your addiction. How a success have they been? Do you sense any remorse from the techniques that you've got acted in your lifestyles? If so, provide an explanation for. Describe any irrational or crazy set of events that have took place because you began your addiction. Did you rationalize this behavior? If so, in what way? Have you avoided americans because they did now not share in or approve of your addictive behavior? If so, list these americans and circumstances. Can you pinpoint when your lifestyles began to show into unmanageable? If so, describe that period of time and what was happening. Is there one incident or insight that made you realize that your lifestyles was unmanageable? If so, describe it in detail. How would you summarize the powerlessness and unmanageability of your lifestyles in the face of your addiction?
Step four and five are major action steps. Step four is an inventory which sets the stage for the fifth step. This inventory should always include now not solely the deep dark immoral secrets of hedonistic and ignominous turpitude, but also the more admirable traits that have in many instances gone unnoticed. Homework assignment:
What amends do you believe you've got already made? These can include apologies already made, beneficial duties for these that you've got hurt, transformed attitudes and so forth. Remember, in spite of the verified truth that, amends are more than basically apologies, but in many instances an apology is all you should do. From your list of amends, if there are apologies that it is advisable make, write them down first. Read your apologies to the team, a pal or your sponsor and ask if it sounds honest or if it sounds protective or like an attack on different particular person. Record what reaction they've got about them. After you've got had your first come across with making amends, record what took place. How did you sense about it? How did different particular person respond? What have you learned from this? What would you do in a diverse way next time? After having performed your first a number of amends, record your total impressions. Is there anything neatly-liked? Has anything taken aback or disappointed you? Which amends have or will be the most challenging? What do you desire to to do to be ready to make these amends? How are you facing being forced to defend your self? Again, have you had any desires about making amends? If so, describe them in detail. Yes, recovery is countless work.
The first conuinctio starts offevolved when the ego (consciousness) discovers the reality of the unconscious and makes an effort to bear in mind it. If recovery is being hunted for intrinsic causes, then the ego has acknowledged an unconscious need; consequently, the first conuinctio is the transformation from the dregs of energetic addiction to the clamor of abstinence (and I emphasize clamor because at this time abstinence will likely be as chaotic as energetic addiction). This part of the transformation is tentative and unstable.
Addicts are tricky, but most of them are intelligent, and that mixture makes addiction very challenging to vanquish. That's why recovery is so lots work.
9. Made direct amends to such americans whenever conceivable, apart from when to do so would inure them or others
Alchemy transforms consciousness, which is the mission of depth psychology. When non- Jungians examine Jung's idea of the transference, they're in many instances struck by how heavily it draws on alchemical symbolism. I will not be relying lots on alchemical symbolism in my approach, but transference is persistently a controversy between sponsors and the americans they sponsor in 12-step classes.
What is alchemy?
It' time now for the sponsee to hugely get down to working on himself. The rubedo is the third stage and its color is red. Red was thought by alchemists to incorporate the essence of lifestyles. Medieval americans believed that the soul resided in the blood and the center was consequently the spiritual and physical core of a personal's lifestyles. From here on, it be all about modification. The sponsee has solely one thing to modification, and that is the clever deal, so the entire baggage he's carrying from the wreckage of the past ought to be disposed of. Homework:
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong right now admitted it
All of these despicable things the newcomer has performed during his addiction have been kept a secret and ought to be shared with another human being. If she or he does now not wish to share things with their sponsor, then they should always decide on another sponsor. Most sponsors, during their addiction, have performed a few of the things that their sponsees have performed, so there's hugely now not a valid reason to refuse to disclose past behavior. Homework assignment:
What are your greatest fears about giving up temporary manipulate over your lifestyles to the team? Do you believe that the team can help deal with your lifestyles better than you've got? How do you sense total about turning your lifestyles over to the team? In what techniques will you retain up the means of turning your lifestyles over to the team? Possibilities include going to non secular services, 12- step meetings, assembly with others in recovery, writing a journal, company to others, meditation, reading, physical workout, contacting your sponsor or partaking in psychotherapy. Describe who or what you trust and to what degree. What changes do you count on to make and the way will this look in particular detail?
12-step classes acknowledge countless lengths of sobriety. In an alchemical recovery system we eliminate receiving chips during the first year and celebrate solely the 2nd conuinctio instead, which is performed after the fifth step. If the sponsor does now not accept as true with that his charge has achieved the 2nd conuinctio, then the sponsor should always discontinue sponsorship. However, if the two of them celebrate the 2nd conuinctio, then the sponsee can get the first annual chip when that time comes.
What is your plan to permit time for reflection daily? What new behaviors would you prefer to attempt to make your alchemical journey easier? How would you go about imposing these? What techniques do you desire to to keep away from the stinking enthusiastic about that so many addicts have such a exhausting time letting go of? What are your triggers for addictive behavior? How can you guard against them or prepare for them?
This is step one of recovery. While still in the nigredo state, the newcomer ought to admit he has a matter. He will in truth be working this step when an alchemical oriented sponsor interviews him as a candidate for sponsorship, and this is when the sponsor determines whether the possibility's causes for being in the program are intrinsic or extrinsic. If he's in the program due to a nudge from the decide, or to get his wife back, or for any different extrinsic goal, then they cannot go any farther until the sponsor is convinced the possibility is there for himself. If the possibility is there for himself, then he's no longer a prospect, but a sponsee. The sponsor will then provide the following series of questions as a homework assignment.
Once the third conuinctio has occurred, which may neatly be from six months to a number of years, the addict has achieved individuation of the recovery process. The content of the alchemical vessel has turned into Gold. He has turn into the philosopher's stone. He has recovered from a seemingly hopeless case of mind and body. Again, the alchemical imagery and processes will continue to be used, and hopefully the sponsee will also have discovered a lifestyles price living and an enduring interest in the spiritual facets of recovery and of alchemical transformation and alchemy in general.
The sponsee can use whatever he wants as a huge power, but for the sake of this newsletter, we'll use the team, since this approach will be used primarily by non-religious persons. Once the sonsee hugely believes the team (or whatever he's adopted as a huge power) can restore him to sanity, the sponsor will commence to see the blackening contents of the alchemical vessel starting to whiten. The sponsor will then assign the following questions as homework.
Those seeking recovery with a sponsor employing the alchemical method, are most likely the ones who have worries with the typical Christian sky-God--which is, the agnostics and atheists. The 12-steps are fraught with the phrase God, so I have reformatted the wording where the phrase God appears. I have made different minor changes in wording and process to agree to my approach.
3. Made a call to show our will and our lives over to the care of the team
Many of us are drawn to the mysteries of the past to enlighten the quality of the current. Mythology, astrology, the tarot, runes, and I-Ching have drawn the interest of many in recent years, and is being enjoyed and utilized in fresh and creative techniques. Ancient wisdom imbued by myths, legends and logos can generate transformation, and transformation is what alchemy is all about. More usually known as the art of turning lead into gold, few americans realize what an limitless philosophical foundation this early know-how has. Alchemy is a process that continues to develop and expand, offering deeper figuring out, awareness, and has a profound potential to modification your lifestyles. This fountain of ancient wisdom has nourished seekers of religious enlightenment throughout the ages.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to they all
This is a repairs step that will be worked periodically for the rest of the sponsee's lifestyles, supplying he remains abstinent that lengthy. We have a natural tendency to now not admit when we're wrong. The philosopher's stone cannot be achieved unless we are capable of doing this-- despite how embarrassing or humiliating it could neatly possibly be. Individuation of the recovery process is a standing now not all americans in recovery in truth receive. How can a sponsor elevate his sponsee to the general level if he's still working on an external locus of manipulate. The philosopher's stone--the Gold--cannot be achieved unless an internal locus of manipulate has been achieved. If we place the blame for the clever deal on the market' and now not take possession of our part in it, then we're in an external locus of manipulate. If we are absolutely chargeable for all of our moves and are unhesitatingly willing to admit our wrongs, then we can say that we are hugely working on an internal locus of manipulate. But this is a process, we get neatly and better at it as time progress, supplying we are actively and without quit working on it. Homework:
Do you've got any fairy tales or myths that you sense a special affinity with? Why? Describe circumstances and events where you've got been filled with delight. What has this brought into your lifestyles that you prefer? What headaches has it caused you? Describe events you hugely enjoy (excepting addictive behavior). What are some healthy eating or workout habits that you'll even be neatly commence? What are some unhealthy eating habits that you'll even be neatly provide up? Describe some secret respectable' deeds that you've got performed or would like to do. Describe circumstances and events where you've got been greedy, overly needy or materialistic. Describe circumstances where you've got given in to lust without regard for others or morality. What headaches has it caused you? Describe circumstances where you've got been dishonest. What headaches has it caused you? Are you ready to depend upon the team to help keep you honest? Describe circumstances where you've got been envious or jealous of others. What headaches has it caused you? Are you ready to share these circumstances in meetings? Describe circumstances where you've got avoided responsibility for your moves or lack of moves. What headaches has it caused you? Are you ready to permit the team to assist you're taking responsibility for your moves? List your major defects of persona. What do you plan to do when these major defects of persona commence to show into evident? List each defect individually along with the proposed preventive behavior and the way you're going to permit the team and/or your sponsor to assist you in your battle against these defects.
After working simply by the fourth step questions, what do you realize about your limitations and features? Describe what it was like sharing the fifth step. How did you sense in the past, during, and after the process? Are you glad that you've got got performed this?
If a sponsee is uncertain what a spiritual awakening/experience is, like I was for ten years into my recovery, then she or he can read my research on spiritual experience available on my website @ http://www.ScumbagSewerRats.com
Alchemical formulation for recovery:
Application:
6. Were entirely ready to have the team remove all these defects of persona
The 2d conuinctio is the transformation from abstinence to recovering. What was formerly solely a perfect becomes a living reality. This stage of recovering may neatly be thought to be the whitening of the albedo--the ego having reached a glossy level of being. The addict (which accommodates the alcoholic), at this new level of being, now has hope.
The mercurial spirit of the prima materia is otherwise known as chaos, and the newcomer to recovery clearly fits that description. It is the job of the alchemist to kill the prima materia and in the process the prima materia is turned into the blackening state of nigredo. This sets the stage for a metamorphosis--the first conuinctio (conjunction).
The first conuinctio has gotten the newcomer to abstinence and to meetings--if recovery is being hunted for intrinsic causes, then the ego has acknowledged an unconscious need. Before the transformation to the 2d conuinctio can occur, he needs to get a sponsor and commence working the steps. There is no particular schedule for working the steps, and with this mannequin the steps are transformed.
This step does now not indicate for the newcomer to show his will and his lifestyles over to the care of a sponsor or the team. It does recommend, in spite of the verified truth that, that he'll make a call to, if that is what it takes. It also implies that he'll take tips comparable to attending 90 meetings in 90 days. By monitoring his attendance, and listening to what the sponsee has to share in meetings, when 90 days has passed, the sponsor could have an idea whether he's severe or now not. At the sponsor's selected time, since all sponsees respond in a diverse way to treatment, the following questions will be given as homework.
12-step classes, in spite of the verified truth that, have a lots shorter records, originating in 1935 when two alcoholics, Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson, met. From two americans to thousands and thousands basically in AA, now not to indicate the entire different 12-step classes, the 12-steps are now universally known. Carl Jung, a pioneer depth psychologist, had a key role in the founding of AA, and he has written extensively on the psychologically and spiritually transformational facets of alchemy.
