Ok, so far I've explained powers. Now I'll tell you a bit more detail. There are two rules set out that we have to follow:
1) Never use your powers in public unless in a life-threatening situation.
2) Never use your powers to influence a person against their will
Everything else is pretty much fair game. Granted, there will always be people who will break the rules, but that's why we have Nullers. Call it damage control, if it helps you to understand it. They fix things. They don't make them go away, that's the practicer's problem, but they can help clean up major messes and make things a little better. That's a kind of unspoken rule: You never interfere with another practicer's powers and the things caused by them. Everyone does their own thing most of the time, and if anyone joins together, there are always great precautions taken before and after to protect everyone else. Mixing is powerful stuff, and it's not done often.
Because of many books and stories and movies published over time, some people have come to believe that powers are often dictated by one type of element or natural force or whatever. This is not true. We are not required to stick to an element or object with our powers focused on that. A practicer may favor one type of cant, or spell, as you would put it, it doesn't usually happen. Why limit yourself to one thing?
Also, we don't have "dark" characters. There is no evil witch out to destroy all non-practicers, and there is no movement to destroy anyone without powers. Most of us started out unable to cant or practice anything, pretty much normal people, until another practicer recognized our power and helped us out. These people are usually called mentors or guardians. Because of the powers being connected to DNA, usually it runs in families, but often skips a generation or two due to conflicting genetics. As a result, a mentor will usually be a grandparent or older person close to the family. This is also why witches in fairy tales are often depicted as old.
One of the first things a young practicer will be taught is how to shift. That is, change their form to something else, hence the whole "familiar" idea written about. The animal called a familiar is usually the student in another form who is practicing shifting. Since they are forbidden to perform in front of non-practicers, they will stay in that shape until the person is gone.
We do not live in communities or covens or anything. Often one practicer will end up marrying another, but it is for the same reasons other people get married, they have a lot in common and enjoy spending time together. Should the couple have a child, that child may or may not have powers, depending on the strength of the genes. If power runs strong in one or both of the parent's sides, then there is a possibility of a rare but not impossible child with powers stronger than usual in a child. This is called a step.
Powers do grow in strength, but that doesn't necessarily make the practicer stronger than another. Strength of powers does not mean you can still control and use your powers better than anyone else.
Because power is a natural, organic thing similar to skin color, it can sometimes not surface until puberty. This can cause problems with the body's reaction to the powers, and once in a while the child will have an outbreak. Like the sudden appearance of acne or growing a foot over the summer, the power will appear with no warning, and sometimes even a little violently. Nothing harmful to the child will happen, though, because control is easily acquired through a little practice, like shaving or using face wash. All that will happen is a child will feel sore or tired, and perhaps have problems with electrical appliances as the powers settle into the restraints of the young practicer's body and mind. Eventually they will become used to it and power will become a natural everyday thing.
Now that you know some of the basic information, I'll continue the next chapter with some of our history and traditions.