Besides being a high priestess of Wicca - an Anglo-Saxon term for witchcraft - [Phyllis Curott] is also a New York City civil-liberties lawyer. When she's not in court, she's guiding new witches and fighting to legitimize their practices and improve their public image.

Although Curott and her Wiccan pals won't be riding broomsticks on Halloween, the day is an important one for witches. It's when covens celebrate Samhain with a ritual dinner.

Curott grew up in suburban Lynbrook, L.I., the only child of a Norwegian maritime union-organizer father and Jewish diplomat mother, who, she said, was a bit perplexed when Curott "came out of the broom closet."