Maine’s Rising Pagan Movement Reveals Gaps in Religious Recognition and National Awareness

In the quiet corners of Maine, a spiritual revolution is quietly unfolding. Paul Ridlon, known as Magnus de Rhuddlan within Norse Druidry circles, begins each day with rituals that connect him deeply to nature — lighting incense in his yurt and honoring spirits embedded in the earth beneath his feet. This intimate practice is part of a broader surge in modern Paganism across the Pine Tree State, where an estimated 4 percent of residents now identify as Pagan or Wiccan, according to recent Pew Research data. Yet this rise isn’t simply about new religious choices; it exposes a stark tension...