Wiccan Drug and Alcohol Rehab

Are There Wiccan Drug and Alcohol Rehab Options?

As is the case with members of all religions, sometimes practitioners of Wicca suffer from addiction. Although this disease causes a great deal of pain and hardship for those who experience it and their families, recovery is possible. Luckily, there are a number of Wiccan drug and alcohol rehab options available, along with many non-Wiccan programs that provide first-class care to Wiccans.

What Is Wicca?

Wicca is a modern Pagan religion that honors a tradition of Witchcraft, which is a spiritual system that encourages learning and an understanding of the earth and nature. Witchcraft itself is not a religion but Wicca is recognized as a religion in many countries. Paganism is an umbrella term for any non-Abrahamic religion, usually originating from Western Europe. Wicca is recognized by the United States as an official religion but differs a bit from the official definition of religion which is “a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power recognized at the creator and governor of the universe.” Wiccans believe there is a higher power defined as One or All, but it does not rule over the Universe because it IS the Universe.

This supreme energy force is often referred to as the Goddess and God, or feminine and masculine energy. In addition, many Wiccan traditions focus on the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water plus the element of Spirit. These elements are considered the building blocks of the Universe, present in everything throughout our world. The elements are typically invoked at the beginning of a ritual or may be asked for help in magical work. For Wiccans, magic is not so much a “belief” as it is a practice. Spells are considered ritual formulas, or a series of steps, to direct psychic energy to accomplish a desired end. The energy is drawn for the Earth with the assistance of the elements, concentrated and released into the world to achieve a positive goal. Spells used for Magic can be compared to prayer in other religions. Unlike most other religions, Wicca is not a missionary religion, so Witches do not try and convert. Instead, Witches believe that if it is the right path for you, you will find your way to it. Wicca is a spiritual system that nourishes free thought and will of the individual as a way of life.

Wiccan Beliefs on Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Wiccans hold a strong belief on individual autonomy and believe as long as a person can be responsible, the use of alcohol and other substances are a matter of personal choice. Wiccan gatherings will sometimes include wine at a ceremony but there are several covens dedicated to serving people in recovery. On the other hand, when it comes to illegal drugs, no reputable coven will endorse the use of drugs in a ritual or ceremony. Drug and alcohol consumption to the point of losing self-control or putting others’ well-being at risk is seen negatively. Fortunately, there are many Wiccan and Pagan drug and alcohol rehab programs, and many other programs that serve the Wiccan community. Wicca encourages a spiritual path towards balance, harmony, and personal responsibility, so for some witches, recovery or drug and alcohol rehab becomes a part of the spiritual practice itself.

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Pagans in Recovery

Pagans in Recovery (PIR) is a phrase used to describe the efforts to achieve abstinence or the remission of addictive behaviors through twelve-step programs like Alcoholic Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon/Alateen, etc. Many Wiccans in recovery prefer this approach over traditional twelve-step meetings that tend to use Christian prayers, make it difficult to find supportive sponsors, and assume a person’s Higher Power is male. Wiccans will sometimes use these traits of traditional rehab as an excuse to avoid getting help for addiction. Pagan twelve-step meetings follow the same format as traditional meetings except they use Pagan friendly readings and substitute Pagan friendly prayers for the Serenity Prayer. If you have tried traditional alcohol and drug rehab programs but did not have success, try finding a local group with like-minded individuals.

The Twelve-Steps for Pagans:

1. Honesty:Admitting we were powerless over our addictions, that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Hope: Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Faith: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to a higher power, as we understand it.
4. Courage: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Integrity: Admitted to a higher power, another, and ourselves the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Willingness: Were entirely ready to have a higher power remove all these defects of character.
7. Humility: Humbly asked a higher power to remove our shortcomings.
8. Truthfulness: Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Justice: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Perseverance: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Spiritual Awareness: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with a higher power, as we understand it, praying only for knowledge of the way for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Service: Having been enlightened as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.*Higher Power is anything that the person in recovery accepts, be it a God, Goddess, Nature, and/or even the group. It is to be used in such a way that the person is getting away from the self and selfishness.

Wiccan 13 Step Path:

1. We admit that we have a problem with _____, and NOW is the moment to reclaim our Will and Balance.
2. We come to believe that the Goddess and Magick, outside and within, can restore our balance and Will, so that we may feel whole again.
3. We will become open to receiving help from the Goddess, and from others who want to understand.
4. We name the Darkness and the Light; the weaknesses and the strengths, within us, and recognize where they have become disruptive; we realize that ______ cannot fill our void or restore our Balance.
5. We seek to restore balance and learn to let go of that which disrupts us.
6. We make a list of ways we have acquiesced to oppression and repression, and how this has caused us to harm ourselves and others.
7. We will say NO to these oppressive and repressive ways and attempt to live in Balance.
8. We become open to change and realize that it is necessary to cultivate patience.
9. Having experienced these changes, we continually seek Balance in our lives through our connection with the Web of Life.
10. We continue to be conscious of our Will, our actions and our thoughts; acknowledging our mistakes, and enjoying our successes.
11. We use the events life brings us as lessons for growth and accept our mistakes as part of life.
12. We believe that we are doing the best that we can, in the Now, and this is enough.
13. We accept ourselves the way we are, trust ourselves, and deeply realize that health, happiness, freedom and love are Her rituals.

Wiccan Drug and Alcohol Rehab

There are several books and websites dedicated to Wiccans battling substance abuse and many support groups are starting to meet in local occult stores. Additionally, more hospitals and medical facilities now offer Pagan chaplaincies and many Unitarian Universalist Churches offer Pagan and Wiccan friendly recovery support group meetings. The first step towards recovery is taking action. If you or a loved one is battling with drug or alcohol abuse, contact a treatment specialist to discover your options.