I am writing a screenplay set in England in the year 1608. In one sentence I used the word coven (a group of witches), but according to Etymonline this word started to be used from 1660, or 52 years after the events in my story. I need an alternative that conveys the same idea of a congregation of witches doing witchcraft for evil. It must necessarily mean that there are witches involved. Otherwise the meaning of my sentence is lost.

The sentence is as follows: There would be more covens than churches.