There are witches among us.

Witchcraft, also known as Wicca, is one of hundreds of pagan religions followed around the world. And there are hundreds of Utah pagans.

For some the word "pagan" might bring to mind images of prehistoric tribal people in remote village huts. While most pagan traditions are based in the ancient past, most modern pagans present a much more familiar picture. They hold jobs at offices or stores or call centers. They send their children to public schools. They drive cars rather than broomsticks.

Paganism is an umbrella term that describes a wide variety of traditions and practices. There are as many "flavors" of paganism as there are denominations of Christianity, if not more, says Tara Sudweeks Willgues, also known as the Rev. Heron. Wicca, Asatru, Stregheria and Shamanism are all types of paganism, just as Lutheranism, Methodism and Catholicism are denominations of Christianity.

Misperceptions and fear cause many pagans to keep their choice of religion hidden, especially in the workplace, says Maureen Duffy-Boose, founder and president of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist pagans, a national pagan group.

"Even in our culture in 2007, the normal cultural response is that pagans are weird," Duffy-Boose said. "I know people who have lost their children because of this religion. I know people that have lost jobs. I know one person who was actually evicted from her apartment."

Prejudice occurs because pagans have been the subject of "1,000 years of negative propaganda," says Gretchen Faulk, founder of the Order of Our Lady of Salt, a pagan group in Salt Lake City.

One woman, who asked not to be identified, says she lost her job as a public school teacher when it was discovered she was Wiccan.

But Duffy-Boose and Faulk agree that such conflicts are rare, and most Utahns are respectful of pagans. When conflicts do occur, discussion usually leads to understanding, they say.

"I feel like Utah is one of the most tolerant places of religious diversity in the nation," Duffy-Boose says. "I believe this has to do with how it was founded. The people who founded it knew what it was like to be persecuted."

What draws a person to paganism? The answers are as diverse as pagans themselves.

Many are attracted to paganism because it is a modern tradition with roots in the past. Most types of paganism practiced today are considered neo-paganism, because they're based on modern understanding of the past, yet they're adapted to meet the needs of people today, Heron says.