Mx. Amy E. Rhea, HPx 3* has been practicing Traditional Initiatory Wicca (in the tradition of First Temple of the Craft of W.I.C.A.) since 1999. They have experience in both coven settings and as a solitary practitioner. They first studied under Marcia Young and Lee Criswell of Circle Fey (Gardnerian) and received initiation to the first degree in 2003 before moving to solitary practice. They later apprenticed under Susan Stoddard of Pagan Temple of Arkansas (First Temple Tradition) and worked closely with Taz Chance and Alex Gonzalez of Naofa Tintean (Alexandrian and First Temple Traditions) and was initiated to the first degree in their lineage in 2010. They were elevated to clergy status through Pagan Temple of Arkansas in 2011 by Susan and her brother JoMichael Stoddard, and in 2016, they were elevated to the second degree through Naofa Tintean by Taz Chance and Alex Gonzalez. In 2019, they were elevated to the third degree by the same priestess and priest. A decades-long proponent of education and service, Amy has regularly presented workshops and rituals at events including St. Louis Pagan Picnic, Pan Pagan Festival, and at Oak Spirit Sanctuary.
Baptized into The Episcopal Church (Anglican Communion) as a child and confirmed in 2016, Amy often felt the pull toward a mystical and contemplative practice, focusing on the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Hildegard of Bingen, and St. Benedict of Nursia. They once dreamed of entering the priesthood or becoming a monastic themselves but felt limited in fully following the Way of Christ in those contexts. As a result, they gravitated away from the institutional Church and blended their Craft with religious traditions from Christianity, including venerating saints and using prayer as a focus for change. They do not describe themselves as a Christian Witch, but rather a Witch who incorporates the Way of Christ and the Way of the Buddha into their overall spiritual practice.
Amy’s interests include devotional practice and monastic discipline, clergy training and education, historical and folkloric witchcraft, and the Inclusive Wicca movement. Outside of these pursuits, they enjoy writing fanfiction, doing embroidery and pyrography, and playing around with their apothecary setup in the middle of the night.