Lehto – Finnish Nature Religions Organisation
Lehto – Finnish Nature Religions Organisation is an association 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 organizes meetings, workshops, excursions to nature and historical locations, gives lectures and publishes a magazine called Lehto (formerly Seita). Lehto also hosts a library for its members 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.
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 200-250 registered members ranging from eclectic, Alexandrian and Gardnerian Wiccan practitioners to practitioners of for example Asatru, Shamanism and Eclectic Neo-Paganism.
More information
For more information about Lehto or Neo-Paganism in Finland, please contact our Information Officer: tiedotus(a)lehto-ry.org