Paganism’s popularity grows in Maine

March 8, 2026

Excerpts from The Maine Monitor

By some measures, Maine is one of the most Pagan states in the country.

Paul Ridlon yurt

Every morning begins the same for Paul Ridlon, who also goes by Magnus de Rhuddlan.

No matter the weather, he steps out of the round yurt where he lives in Portland and lights incense at his southern altar, a tree stump topped with two crane statues and a figurine of the Egyptian god Horus.

After greeting the sun, the earth and the spirit that he believes embodies his land, Ridlon walks around his raised garden bed, letting the earth beneath his bare feet remind him of his connection to the natural world.

Ridlon follows Norse Druidry, a form of contemporary Paganism that focuses on a reverence for the environment, which he has practiced for roughly 15 years and studied at Druid College, a school in Biddeford that prepares people to be priests of nature.

It is one of a number of polytheistic and mystical religions that make up the modern Pagan umbrella, faiths that generally emphasize a connection between nature and the divine and often revive pre-Christian religious practices, such as celebrating the solstice and other seasonal festivals or revering spirits believed to be present in all things…

Circe Moss MacDonald, spiritual director at Portland New Church who practices a form of nature-based spirituality but does not identify as Pagan, said she has also noted an increase in Pagan adherents during her nine years with the organization. The New Church, which is open to a range of faiths, saw half a dozen Pagan groups host events there last year.

The New Church’s monthly Cosmic Mass, which Ridlon and MacDonald both help lead, attracts people looking for a spiritual connection to nature, often using costumes, puppetry, drumming and dancing. During the February Cosmic Mass, Ridlon and MacDonald explored the elemental roots of electronic devices….

Mainers seem to be increasingly celebrating solstices, equinoxes and other seasonal festivals central to Pagan practice, MacDonald said. Search data from Google suggests that in the past five years Mainers’ interest in eight of the primary festivals has been higher than in any other state except Vermont…

As his personal spiritual work continues, he is focused on bringing more Pagans together through festivals and rituals in southern Maine. Christians may go to church for an hour or two each week, but what he is picturing is more immersive.

“It takes a day — actually, longer,” Ridlon said, “just to leave the big world behind you.”