Gerald Gardner, who was involved with the New Forest Coven in the early 20th century, was the first to report what happened during Operation Cone of Power. He stated that witches raised a Cone of Power and directed it toward Germany, hoping to send a message to German leaders that crossing the English Channel was impossible.
Gardner also mentioned that several older and frail witches died after the ritual. Louis Wilkinson suggested this was due to performing the ritual naked without goose grease to keep warm, which led to pneumonia. Heselton later found that two locals, reporter Walter Forder (1881–1940) and blacksmith Charles Loader (1864–1940), died shortly after the ritual, and he speculated they were involved in it.
Many have spoken of what happened in the summer of 1940, but few truly understand. The first generation of witches from the New Forest Coven stood together in the heart of the woods, channeling their power, their will, and their intent into a force that would ripple across the world. Some might call it a legend, others a myth, but those who were there know the truth: the Cone of Power was real.
The Gathering in the Forest
The world was teetering on the edge of destruction, and the land itself seemed to sense it. The trees whispered of impending danger, the air was thick with an unshakable sense of dread, and every living creature appeared to shudder under the weight of what was to come. Hitler’s forces were sweeping through Europe, and now, his eyes were fixed upon Britain. His armies stood ready, poised to invade and bring war to their shores.
But there was something the enemy did not know.
There are forces older than any empire, powers that do not bend to weapons or bombs but to the will and intent of those who know how to wield them. The witches of the New Forest Coven had no armies, no conventional means of defense, but they had their craft—and they had each other.
On the night of the ritual, they gathered deep within the New Forest. They were not a large group, but numbers meant little when the will of the practitioners was strong. Some were young, some were old—some so ancient that they knew this could be their last rite. They formed a circle beneath the open sky, calling upon the spirits of the land, the ancestors, and the forces that move beyond time. The energy of the gathering began to build with every chant, every movement, every breath.
Raising the Cone of Power
The purpose of the protection spell was simple yet profound: to send a powerful message directly into the mind of Adolf Hitler, to plant a deep, unshakable conviction—"You will not succeed. You will not cross the sea. You will not invade this land."
The witches danced, chanted, and called upon the forces of the earth and the stars, their energy swelling like a rising storm. The power surged through their bodies, their bones, their spirits. It was as if they had become one force, unified in intent. The energy spiraled upward, taking the shape of a great Cone of Power. The practitioners felt it build within them, an unstoppable force.
And then, it was sent.
The moment the Cone of Power was released, a profound silence descended. The energy that had once whipped through the air suddenly ceased, leaving the witches drained and exhausted. Some of them collapsed to the ground, overcome by the intensity of the experience. Others stood in awe, feeling the lingering charge in the air, knowing that the work had been completed. The message had been sent.
The Aftermath
In the weeks and months that followed, the witches of the New Forest Coven watched and listened closely. They saw the tides of war begin to shift. Hitler’s forces never made it across the channel. His plans faltered, his invasion was delayed, and eventually, the enemy's efforts began to unravel. History books will focus on military strategy, air battles, and the decisions made in war rooms—but those who were there knew the deeper truth.
Some of the witches who had taken part in the ritual did not survive the war. The work had been taxing, especially on the elder members. They knew the price when they joined the ritual, and they gave themselves freely to the cause.
What Remains Today
Decades have passed, and the world has changed. Many of those who were present that night are no longer with us. The stories, the rituals, and the voices of the witches of the New Forest Coven grow fainter with each passing year. But the power that was harnessed that night remains. The craft remains. And the knowledge that, when magic is wielded with purpose and unity, it can alter the course of history—that knowledge remains, too.
For those who still doubt, the witches would say: magic is not a matter of belief. It is a matter of knowing. The witches of the New Forest Coven knew what had to be done, and they did it. That is the truth that remains.
