The Journey: Embracing Ancient Tradition
Connection. Some really want to be part of something, to truly belong. Others are totally fine doing their own thing, and honestly, neither way is wrong. You become part of something that fills a part of you, not the whole you. And you know, you're usually only as good as the people you surround yourself with, so it really tests you. Your Order eventually just becomes a part of who you are. It completes a piece of the puzzle. Do you have a life outside the Order? A biological family? The Druid Order might not be the family you always imagined, but it just might be the only family you've ever truly needed. The Druids around you? They're the ones who lift you up to do things you'd probably never pull off on your own.
Druition. The Druid Order is Druidhood of men and women who devote themselves to the most Holy Ancient Druids, seeking their profound, timeless, and authentic wisdom. It offers a foundational understanding of the old religion, guiding those who seek a clear definition of the historical Druids and how they lived. It also aims to learn from the positive achievements of these holy men and women. It seeks to learn from the good things these holy men and women would have accomplished. The Druid Order isn't really the finish line; it's more like a way to connect, a stepping stone.
Tradition. The preservation and continuity of enduring accounts and customs, holding its original form for enrichment and development is legacy. Its theology and philosophy are defined by both theory (knowledge, mythology, tenets, principles, etc.) and practice (chants, rites, rituals, benedictions, etc.), all stemming from its founders' ideals. Tradition, then, represents the enduring heritage of these ideals, its core unaltered within its "letters". New contributions are added, but nothing is subtracted from the original thought, ensuring it stands the test of time.
Progression. A journey refers to the system by which individuals advance in levels, within the order. Some Druid Orders have a system of development in place to maintain that tradition. In our Druid Order, each step of the process, called "Orders", uses Theory and Practice to equip you with learning the exoteric world and to apply that knowledge to conceptualizing the esoteric arts and sciences. Ultimately, this fosters a comprehensive base of information, aligned with Bloom's Taxonomy, with the ability to apply it benevolently and effectively. This is easily achieved using Conceptual Learning. along with your own motivation. You will know what Order you are on because each begins with an Ordinal Number, for example "Twenty-Third Order".
The Druid Order was founded on September, 23rd., 2018 by Chf. Drd. Nioclás Deaglán, OCAB, in Philadelphia, PA. Our Druidhood, abbreviated as "OCAB", stands for the "Druid Order of Blest Stone and Wood." The Druid Order aims at sharing common interests about Druidic Culture and Civilization, using a basic and fundamental premise of who the Ancient Druids were, examining other ancient anthropologies as well. Indeed, this multifaceted journey stands as a testament to the transformative power of dedication and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, inspiring many to embrace lifelong learning.
Born Daniel L. Curcio, in 1970 upon the Autumnal Equinox in the "Birthplace of America," his foundational discipline began with karate. This lead him to achieve a Second Dan Black Belt in GoJu Ryu after 22 years, followed by service as a USMC Desert Storm Veteran. After his military service, Daniel dedicated time in Minor Seminary to the Mercedarian Friars, which then transitioned into his academic journey at Rutgers University, where he earned degrees in World Language, Education, and Linguistics. Today, his intellectual pursuits are focused on the subjects of Philosophy, Anthropology, Theology, Mythology, and Archeology. His remarkable path illustrates a life committed to profound discipline and continuous intellectual growth.
Originally conservative, he moved away from that thought. Daniel L Curcio founded, "The Equality Coalition", led the March on the DNC in the Summer of 2015, and further "Occupy Inauguration" in 2016 as a "Face of the Resistance." In 2017, he led the satellite March for Unity and Pride in Philly, his last protest against conservatives. These movements pushed him to believe that Marxism, Socialism, and Communism were the right path. Eventually, he began to realize he was on the wrong side of history, leading him back to his roots...Conservatism, Nationalism, Capitalism, and Devotionalism. He abandoned his life to take care of an individual who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury at the age of five and remains a full-time caregiver, which he believes was a divinely inspired mission.
Now, Nioclás Deaglán prefers Nature over politics and cooking over protesting. From the age of six, he has always been curious about Man, Myth, Magic, God, the Occult and has felt a calling to serve the Most Holy Ancient Druids. He believes in Religious Freedom and encourages OCAB Druids to "peacefully and patriotically" defend those being persecuted for their faith as we see today in Antisemitic, Anti-Christian, and Anti-Conservative Pagan "Dark Woke" activism. While he disagrees with some of the theology of the Abrahamic faiths, yet sometimes still considers himself to be a Folk Catholic, his morality lines up with those belief systems. He doesn't believe in forced conversions to religion but believes that Conservative Druidism is the fullness of faith.
From his early beliefs in Magic of the Seventies to the works of David St. Clair in the Eighties, he was sent on a journey. As he looked back on his life he believed he was called by the historical Druids to lead in some way, shape or form. Fascinated with the Extraordinary he believed he answered his calling and joined and started a small study group of about 20 for ADF, a woke druid order. After discovering his voice hadn't worth here, adding insult to injury, ADF shoved their founder under the bus, he left and brought his Anam Cara with him starting a small social group of about 200 and later 2,000 called, "The Druid Circle." He later formed what would become the second, largest Druid Order worldwide, our Druid Order. The founder of ADF has a special place with us. He is now convinced that true Druidism, traditional Druidism, is the key to coming back to the Old Ways, being one with Nature, and developing a personal relationship with the God or Gods of one's understanding.
The Druid Order of Blest Stone and Wood focuses on a conservative approach to Druidism and stands as the antithesis of "woke ideology" which has penetrated much of Neopaganism and has destroyed so many of us. Our Druids, worship the God or Gods of their own understanding, do good in both word and deed, and being austere, they stand strong, courageous, astute, and wise in their faith and works. They connect to Source, Force, Course and Dorse, or rather the Godhead, and act as mediators between God and man. As conservative Druids, we honor Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
To be an OCAB Druid is to be part of a family and an elite society, with studies that are vigorous, meaning that instead of reading a chapter and coming away with the "gist" of it, we remember everything about that chapter. Our Druids' continued participation and good standing, grants them a better awareness of who they are, develops a closer connection to the most Holy Ancient Druids, and evolves their interpersonal relationship skills bringing them closer to their Pantheon and Natural Law. The outcome: we become better versions of ourselves tomorrow than we are today.
Our Threefold Mission
Caregiver Support: We support family caregivers assisting those with neurological conditions, aiming to aid the Administration for Community Living; we believe their dedication deserves significant recognition. We also help caregivers connect to services for their loved ones. Caregivers, in our eyes are some of our nation's forgotten heroes and those living with disabilities should get the sufficient and necessary help they need.
Tradition Preservation: We strengthen our nation's foundation by offering a unique Druidic religious perspective that educates members in traditional values and ancient practices, contrasting with contemporary ideologies. This training defends historical narratives and benevolent rites of the Ancients. We will never tell you who the God or Gods of your understanding are. We will encourage you to have a closer and more personal relationship with them.
Environmental Stewardship: We actively protect the environment through conservation, waste management, and land cleanup initiatives, hoping to support the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery; Earth Mother and Time Father should be respected as our collective parental guides. Such actions uphold the ancient paleopaganism of caring for the land by ensuring its vitality for generations to come.
Appellation refers to the designation by which members of a religious or secular order are commonly known. We are officially known as "The Brothers and Sisters of the Ancient Cross" reflecting the ancient symbol through which our mission's success is realized. This name resonates deeply due to the cross' timeless symbolism, representing the cosmos through a connection between material and ethereal realms using foundational, and not "reimagined" roots.
"Brothers and Sisters" highlights our shared religious understanding, embodied by the "Ancient Cross", the bridge between earthly and transcendental realms. Consequently, it fosters Unity, the highest form of Magic, based on heartful, soulful, mindful, and spiritual principles. Ultimately, this quest for the Historical Druids, bridges the corporeal or exoteric realms with the non-corporeal or esoteric realms. We master Druidry, the specific invisible mechanics, so we may genuinely live Druidism, our visible way, truth and life.
Qualifying Applicants must acknowledge they are either biological male or female and continue to identify as such, 25 years or older, and not Atheists, though Agnostics are welcome. All applicants must be legal citizens of their country. We honor the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine. We believe in at least the potential reality of the Infinite and the Otherworld as a fundamental, bare minimum prerequisite. Applicants should be past the peak of the adolescent brain remodeling stage, at a discerning age, and steadfast in their God-given Gender. They are prepared to acknowledge the profound depths of the Godhead, Myths, Folklore, Magic and the Occult.
Merit and Dismissal: Anyone may apply. We hope to have those who are part of the classical liberal and conservative mindsets. Any mindsets that are extreme or radical, please don't waste our time. For those that do apply, you have our promise that seniority is based on merit, activity, and remaining in good standing. Veterans and those living with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We are an "At-Will" Druid Order, which means you are free to leave at any time without reason. At the same time, we reserve the right to dismiss you at any time without any reason. It's a two-way street as we may feel you are right for us and you may feel we are right for you, but there is no guarantee for that.
How much are the dues? You will never pay us any money to belong. It costs nothing, but you are responsible for things including but not limited to, Ritual Gear and materials, etc., needed for theory and practice. There are no dues either as we don't believe in profit for prophesy or guilt for gain. We hope you pursue Druidism with us!
