religions highlights her desire to destigmatize paganism along with others. Lady Rhea acknowledges evangelical protestors at the parades, with the perception that "they have a right to their beliefs, but don't step on somebody else's." Alongside her work for The Witch Pride Parade, she also mentors the next generation of witches. She urges young individuals who are interested to seek out opportunities for information such as events, books, and shops. Beliefs and practices Her first introduction into paganism and witchcraft started with Santeria. This hybrid of paganism and Catholicism allowed her to further explore Minoan and Wicca. Lady Rhea received her name based on the Rhea, the Great Mother Goddess who watched over the Minoan pantheon. The Great Mother Goddess is attributed as the creator of the Milky Way in Minoan practice. Minoan deities were passed on by later Greeks. Homer and Diodorus Siculus notably mention Minoan deities in their writing and inform much of the modern understanding of their practices. Legend describes Mount Ida (Crete) as Rhea's sacred place, where she birthed her son, Zeus, in order to hide him from his father, Cronos. Though later writers describe Rhea as a fertility goddess, Minoan belief would push back against this ideal. Rather, Minoans perceived Rhea as a focus of the land itself, referring to the land and earth sacred as a living thing. This concept of Rhea as a source of life through earth defines the general beliefs of Minoans. Similarly rejecting ideas of dispensation where resources can be bought and sold. "Lady Rhea's own spiritual journey can be described as eclectic; in addition to witchcraft, she has initiations in Tibetan Buddhism, is a devotee of Santa Muerte and works with a large pantheon of deities, including Hindu, as well as the Orishas." She describes it as "religion based on ecology, its preserving mother earth." This wide breadth of devotions is further reflected in her shop Magickal Realms. While she practices Wiccan and bases much of her training on sympathetic magic, she rejects sacrifices. Referring to the movie The Wicker Man, Lady Rhea points out that witches receive a bad rap from Hollywood through misleading representation and references to the devil or Satan's mistress. Today, she views witchcraft as being in a modern renaissance. Where astrology and modern understandings of Wiccan combined with other pagan religions can bring in younger generations to practice. Published work The Enchanted Candle In