Friends of Bill W. - The Circle and the Triangle "The circle stands for the whole world of A.A., and the triangle stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service. Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession. That we have chosen this particular symbol is perhaps no accident. The priests and seers of antiquity regarded the circle enclosing the triangle as a means of warding off spirits of evil, and A.A.'s circle and triangle of Recovery, Unity, and Service has certainly meant all of that to us and much more." (Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, Bill W.’s 1955 speech)

A Friend of Bill W

If you settle for your wildest dreams, you will be selling yourself short.

The Circle and the Triangle

"The circle stands for the whole world of A.A., and the triangle stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service. Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession. That we have chosen this particular symbol is perhaps no accident. The priests and seers of antiquity regarded the circle enclosing the triangle as a means of warding off spirits of evil, and A.A.'s circle and triangle of Recovery, Unity, and Service has certainly meant all of that to us and much more." (Bill W., Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, Bill W.’s 1955 speech)

The circle and triangle is an ancient spiritual symbol meaning mind, body, and spirit together as one.

In AA, the symbol of the circle and the triangle represents the three parts of our program encircled within the whole. The triangle is the strongest construction structure known to man, which shows us that the principles associated with each part of our disease and each part of the program need to be balanced equally in our lives in order for us to stay sober.

We have a physical, mental and spiritual disease and the AA program has a physical, mental, and spiritual component. The solution to our alcoholism is found in the Three Legacies of AA. The Three Legacies are Recovery, Unity and Service and each legacy has twelve guiding spiritual principles. These legacies represent the principles passed down to us from the co-founders, Bill W. and Dr. Bob and the pioneers of AA. Each set of spiritual principles is outlined in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (Recovery, Unity, Service), the Twelve and Twelve (Recovery and Unity), and the General Service Manual (Service).

Recovery/Mind/The Individual (Mental Obsession)

✓    The Set of Twelve Spiritual Principles (the 12 Steps), used to recover from alcoholism, are found in the first part of the Big Book, ending on page 164 and in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.
✓    The 12 Steps are known as Recovery and it is the entire foundation of our program. Thus it is the bottom of the triangle, holding up Unity and Service. The physical compulsion and mental obsession to drink is removed when we work the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The promise that we have recovered from a “seemingly hopeless state of mind and body” comes from completing these steps. Unity and Service cannot be a part of our lives unless we are working the 12 Steps in our lives.
✓    What step am I working on today? Am I continuously working the AA 12 Step program in my life today? Have I been relieved of the mental obsession?

Unity/Body/The AA Group (Physical Compulsion)

✓   The 12 spiritual principles used within the fellowship are the 12 Traditions found in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and the Appendix of the Big Book (Fourth Edition). The 12 Traditions are based on the 12 Steps.
✓   The second Legacy, Unity (Body) suggests we join a home group and participate in the meetings. The fellowship of AA is its group members and is fondly referred to as “the meeting before the meeting, the AA meeting, and the meeting after the meeting.” The group member is the most important part of the AA organization.
✓   Do I have a group that I am committed to and involved with? When I am participating in AA and Group Conscious meetings, do I follow the 12 Traditions?

Service/Spirituality/The AA Organization (Spiritual Malady)

✓   Service in AA is based in the 12 spiritual principles known as the 12 Concepts, which are found in the General Service Manual and the Appendix of the Big Book (Fourth Edition).
✓   “12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry the message to another alcoholic and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” (BB 60:1) “PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE shows that nothing so much insures immunity from drinking than intense work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our TWELFTH SUGGESTION: Carry this message to other alcoholics!” (BB 89:1)
✓   The current service structure put in place by Bill W. And Dr. Bob allow recovered alcoholics to have resources at their disposal in order to help another alcoholic achieve sobriety.
✓   Am I working with other alcoholics taking them through the twelve steps? Am I practicing all of the spiritual principles inside and outside AA? Am I restless, irritable or discontent? If AA is the 12 Steps, the fellowship, and working with others, where am I with my program?