The events of the first of May were concerning to many, witches and non-witches both. After all, the sky splitting open and Aether poking through is not exactly an everyday occurrence, or even a recorded one. Numerous press releases were made from various government agencies around the world talking about their response to the issue. Committees were formed, experts were consulted, debates were held, and absolutely nothing happened.
After the first few days of hurried responses, action slowed down dramatically. Those following events closely watched as people simply lost interest, as though it had merely been an interesting weather phenomenon and not a sign that something was deeply wrong.
Sick of waiting for international government to do something effective, several groups - predominantly witching groups - took matters into their own hands and began looking into the cause of what was now being commonly referred to as the Omen.
The idea of collaboration occurred to several people at around the same time. The French École des Arts Magiques were the first group to formally announce that they were looking into the cause of the cracks, followed quickly by groups in Japan, Mexico, and then the rest of the world.
In England, the first group to put the idea into practice were a small group called the Havering Hill Witches' Collective. Despite only being a local witching society, the Collective contained a few influential figures, including White Quill local leader Neil Glass, and the head of the Slough Institute's London offices, Elif Demir, along with the head of the collective herself, Allegra Jones.
Having obtained the approval of the Gaian of Havering Hill, the Collective went about publicising their intention to hold these meetings, both within their circles of contacts and to the witching world at large. Word spread quickly, and several groups expressed an interest in attending the meetings.
Or, at the very least, sending along representatives to see what all the fuss is about.
Havering Hill is an area of London with good public transport links that have made it a prime target for gentrification in recent years. The original village of Havering Hill was notable for having a long-standing witching community, something which has continued to this day, with the Havering Hill area having one of the highest population densities of witches in the country.
As the organisers were based in Havering Hill, and as the Gaian had already granted [gender??] approval, it made sense as a location to hold the meeting. In addition, there was an obvious venue in Havering Hill - the former church of St Mary Magdalene, now known variously as Mary Magdalene and the Fox's Lane Community Centre. Being all three of conveniently located, cheap to hire and within the realm of a friendly Gaian, it was a sensible venue to use.
Also worth noting is that while the church was deconsecrated in the 1980s, churches have historically been magically guarded. Stemming from old laws about sanctuary, enough rituals have been done and spells applied that it is impossible to commit an act of violence in most churches. Despite no longer being a place of worship, or a place which officially offers any form of sanctuary, the Magdalene Community Centre still has protections against violence
The intent of this meeting, as proclaimed by the organisers, is to investigate the cause of the cracks in the sky that appeared on 1st of May. The organisers are currently expecting to hold a follow-up meeting a month after the first meeting, with future meetings being subject to whether or not the cause of the cracks are ascertained. The organisers are hopeful that the issue will be solved within the first month, and further meetings will not be necessary.
Of course, given the broadly scattered nature of witching society and the fact that many diverse interests will be represented here, it also presents a prime opportunity for networking and socialising between groups which would not ordinarily interact.