12-Step, AA, NA and Al-Anon Symbols and Their Meanings, History and Trivia

If you’re in a 12-Step program, you’ve no doubt seen or heard about many different symbols. But what is the meaning behind them? Here is a quick summary of some 12-Step groups’ most popular symbols:

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS:

The AA Unity Symbol

Simply put, the circle stands for the worldwide fellowship of AA, and the triangle stands for AA’s Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service.

Now, some history. The Unity Symbol was adopted as an official AA symbol at the International Convention in St. Louis in 1955. In Bill W.’s 1955 speech, printed in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, he says:

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“Above us floats a banner on which is inscribed the new symbol for A.A., a circle enclosing a 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 the 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.” (p. 139)

The Camel

Camel, Unity Symbol and Butterfly Necklace

“The camel each day goes twice to his knees.

He picks up his load with the greatest of ease.

He walks through the day with his head held high

And stays for that day, completely dry.”

--Author Unknown

Dr. Bob explains this prayer in an analogy on how camels in a caravan kneel down in the evening while men unload the burdens the camels carried. In the morning, the camels knelt down again, and the men put the burdens back on. “It’s the same with prayer,” Dr. Bob said. “We get on our knees to unload at night. And in the morning when we get on our knees again, God gives us just the load we are able to carry for that day.”

© 1980, Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, page 229 

Keys to the Kingdom Bracelet

The Key

On page 276 of Alcoholics Anonymous (The “Big Book,” fourth edition), it reads, “Now there is a sense of belonging, of being wanted and needed and loved. In return for a bottle and a hangover, we have been given the Keys of the Kingdom.”

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS:

The NA Symbol

In the fifth edition of NA’s basic text, Narcotics Anonymous, on pages vi and vii, the symbol is described in detail. This is a condensed version:

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The outer circle denotes a universal and total program that has room within it for all manifestations of the recovering person. The square denotes goodwill and the ground of both the Fellowship and the members of our society. The four sides of the square represent Self, Society, Service and God.

 

AL-ANON

The Al-Anon Symbol

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Al-Anon's main text, Paths to Recovery, states this about their symbol:

“Al-Anon’s logo is a triangle symbol with a circle inside. The three sides of the triangle symbolize our three legacies: Recovery through acceptance of the Steps, Unity through acceptance of the Traditions and Service through acceptance of the Concepts.  All three sides are necessary for the triangle to remain a triangle, just as a three-legged stool needs all three legs in order to stand.”

The Butterfly

The butterfly symbol signifies beauty and transformation. The butterfly is sometimes described as the "kiss of God."

 

 

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