Lehto - Finnish Nature Religions Organisation is a organisation for Finns practicing Earth-based religions, as well as for people with an interest towards them. Lehto was founded in 1998. The main objectives of Lehto are to provide contacts between practitioners of Neo-Pagan religions, to provide accurate information on Neo-Pagan religions and improve their status within the Finnish society, and to support a lifestyle of respect towards nature.

To support these objectives, Lehto organises meetings, excursions to nature and historical locations, gives lectures, and publishes a quarterly newsletter, Seita. Lehto also hosts a library with a wide range of books and magazines of Neo-Pagan interest. In addition, Lehto answers queries and provides informational material concerning Neo-Pagan religions. Lehto is a non-profit organisation.

All of Lehto's activity is based on its members' own motivation and voluntary work. Lehto is not an organised religious structure. (e.g. Lehto is not a coven), but its aim is to serve people from various different Neo-Pagan religions: for example, Shamanism, Wicca, Green Witchcraft, Druidism, Asatru, Earth-centered Paganism, ancient Finnish or ancient European Paganism, Ceremonial Magic, Thelema etc.

Our newsletter, Seita, is 40-page publication in Finnish. The most popular of Lehto's annual events is the Halloween fest, consisting of a costume party and a sale amongst other things.

Neo-Paganism in Finland

We have several Neo-Pagan organisations in Finland. Some of them represent a wide variety of Neo-Pagan religions, whilst some concentrate on one religion only: Shamanism, for example.

There are approximately a few thousand Neo-Pagans in Finland. Lehto itself has about 150 registered members. In 2004 there were about 500 or more Wiccans in Finland, most of them eclectic practitioners. We have the Alexandrian and Gardnerian traditions represented here, and there's a growing amount of eclectic covens. Asatru, Shamanism and Eclectic Neo-Paganism are also popular.