Elders

The Council of Elders also known as the Founders and the Powers That Be and commonly referred to as just the Elders are a powerful group of elder Whitelighters who advise and govern the forces of good. Their purpose is to preserve the "greater good" by directing their Whitelighters to guide and protect witches and future Whitelighters.

The Elders reside in the Heavens and communicate with witches through their assigned Whitelighters, giving them messages and warning them of impending threats. As prominent figures on the side of good, the Elders also intervene when they deem it necessary and discipline others when they break their rules.

Although they are powerful and have great influence, the Elders are not the highest authority, being outranked by the Angels of Destiny and potentially greater forces.

The All
In the early days of humanity, to help the Nexus that was the All regain some of its magic, the Elders and the Angels of Destiny were forced to send the mate of Neena, the first witch, back to the Higher Realm where the All resided. This was a decision, the errors of which, would only be fully realized millennia later.

Creation of the Whitelighters
Nearly a thousand years later, the Elders began to plan the creation of a race of magical beings that would eventually become the Whitelighters. Their initial intentions were to make Whitelighters avenging angels, warriors on the side of good fighting against evil. To aid them in this task, the Elders asked a magical blacksmith to produce a weapon for these warriors. However, some Elders thought that the Whitelighters should instead be mere guides to the good magical beings. After a heated discussion that nearly tore the Heavens apart, the faction which sought to make Whitelighters peaceful guides carried the day, and the weapons created by the bladesmith were hidden away.

The Ultimate Battle
After the Charmed Ones faked their deaths, the Elders wanted to take Wyatt and Chris Halliwell, as they believed Victor Bennett could not raise two magical boys properly, though Victor refused.

When the Angel of Death warned Piper that Leo was meant to die, she summoned an Elder and an Avatar. However, they were unable to answer her question and directed her to the Angels of Destiny.[19] One of the Elders later appeared before Piper to tell her not to give up hope, at which point Wyatt orbed a cake in his face.

In late 2006, Piper summoned Sandra to ask her if Billie and Christy were the ultimate power they were supposed to defeat. Sandra was unable to confirm this, though she believed it to be a possibility.

Book of Shadows
The Elders
 * As high-ranking force of Good, the Elders are the 
 * highest level of guardian angels, they are also the
 * newer agents for Good, the Elders also guide and
 * direct Whitelighters and other charges. In times of
 * great need, the Elders can aid with their vast wisdom.

Membership
The council of Elders was originally believed to consist of high-ranking Whitelighters. However, it was later established that witches and other beings can become Elders as well. This was first shown when the Elder Ramus wanted to retire in 2002. Before he could move on, he was meant to pass his powers on to another destined Elder, later revealed to be the teenaged witch Kevin.