#auxiliaryslinky

Featuring lesser-discussed aspects or sides of the gods. Massive "read to filth" warning!!

ZEUS – Forming pacts, promises, and oaths to others is an obligation, an action that puts integrity and trust on the line until what is agreed upon is fulfilled. Breaking an agreement breaks spirits and stability in relationships. So what have you promised yourself in the past that have never been put to fruition—any resolutions, goals, that you never got to fulfill? Why were they never completed?

POSEIDON – The very soil you stand on is supposedly the safest place to be, but the earth moves and shakes unapologetically, taking down all that towers above it. Have you had moments where what you built and stood for crumbled to the ground mercilessly, and you were left to pick up what had been destroyed? Could you have stopped it from breaking even if you couldn't prevent it from happening?

HERA – Life is a journey traversed through both familiar roads and unpaved paths. These journeys can be literal expeditions and long travels to be in new places, and for some, it is a long-winded path to a less physical but equally beautiful destination. Write a letter about your travels to your past self, who was yet to begin their long journey just to get to where you are now. Thank them, thank yourself.

HESTIA – Transparency is the lesser mentioned but equally important partner of communication as a key aspect of negotiation and bureaucracy. Is there ever a time when you or somebody else had twisted the truth or altered the manner in which to express it to raise the chances in your favour, or has somebody else done it against you? Do you think it was worth it to do so?

DEMETER – Abundance is never ensured or constant, and there will be inevitable periods of darkness and drought where one feels as if they are losing everything and gaining nothing at the same time. Whenever you are hopeless and feel as if nothing good will ever replenish all that you have lost, there are reasons as to why you're still here despite it. What or who are these reasons that stayed even when all else has vanished from you?

ARES – Respect for another person's inborn dignity is respect for human life and existence. Most of us attempt to be gracious and polite to preserve the dignity of others. Ignoring your own, and therefore disrespecting yourself, is not an exception to the rule. How many times in the past six months, up to a year ago, have you shamed yourself, been self-deprecating, and been cruel to yourself?

HEPHAESTUS – As much as our passions and specialties fuel us, there will be inevitable times when burnout exists. In periods of creative rut and artistic block, even the greatest artisans feel as if nothing they create is good enough. In the worst cases, these periods may last so long and so painfully that they stop altogether. If you are still a creative now, how do you get over these artistic dry spells? If you've given up and dropped an art form, is there still an ember of passion within you, or has it truly died out?

ATHENA – Intellect is not merely measured by academic excellence or the ability to quickly solve a problem on paper with genius skill. It also involves displaying a deep understanding of concepts and experiences, and the ability to apply learnings in profound ways. What are the greatest realizations, revelations, or life lessons you have had in the past year? Do you think understanding these has made you a smarter person about your life, or at the very least more aware?

APHRODITE – Passion and love are forces with no morality, only power. When harnessed healthily, these can fuel perseverance, healing, improvement, and even renewal. When left uncontrolled and unsupervised, they can quickly corrupt and turn irrational as fast as they can influence. Are you somebody who allows themself to be thoroughly ruined by its intensity, or do you attempt to rein it in as much as you can help it?

APOLLON – The excess of anything good becomes bad, and the indulgence in something seemingly beneficial can be blinding. Potent medication is administered with specific doses for a reason. And many good things in life are not meant to be had all at one time, though it is undeniably irresistible. Do you have any guilty pleasures or vices that you struggle with working on or experiencing, and are you aware of their long-term effects on you? Do you still take care of yourself regardless of or because of it?

ARTEMIS – Many people look down on others for reasons they cannot prevent, deny, or remove from themselves. Race, gender, sexuality, conditions, you name it, and some people feel the need to belittle those who are different from others. If you are not part of these minorities, or if you are somebody who experiences some forms of discrimination, how do you advocate and fight for yourself and those who are alienated by others?

DIONYSUS – Merely realizing the utter chaos and clamor of life can render even the most well-adjusted individuals in society to develop an existential crisis that uproots their motivations and reasons for being. In this ever-changing, ever maddening, potentially meaningless existence we live in modern day life, how do you keep grounded to reality, experiencing it, shaping this reality to be distinctly suited and meaningful to you?

HERMES – Luck is a leap of faith, and you never know which side of the probability you will end up having. There are times when the world leaves us no opportunity to choose wisely, and we are thrown into a fit of quick decision-making that may or may not end in catastrophe. Usually, they do end up horribly, but on the rare occasions that chance is on your side, recall a time you made a reckless, potentially dangerous, and non-advisable decision that, by a stroke of luck, ended better than expected. Would you ever dare do it again with the same stakes at hand?

ᶦᵐ ˢᵒʳʳʸ ᶠᵒʳ ᵛᵃⁿᶦˢʰᶦⁿᵍ ᶦ ʷᵃˢ ᵉⁿʲᵒʸᶦⁿᵍ ᵐʸ ᵛᵃᶜᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᵖˡˢ ᵈᵒⁿᵗ ᵇᵘʳⁿ ᵐᵉ ᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖʸʳᵉ

Icarus was told never to fly too close to the sun, but he, too, was reminded not to fly so near the sea. We all have had instances where we soared too high and fell grandly. But have you been so afraid to take a risk that it became the reason for your downfall or regret?

Even if you do not worship or actively practice with them, which deity, in terms of what they represent, their values and virtues, and even in personality, do you think you share the most in common with? Or alternatively, which one do you have the most affinity for?

In terms of hubris, man is blinded in two ways. Do you see so much of what you have that you forget you are lacking, or do you only see the absence of what you do not own, so that you cannot cherish what is there?

Spear to your throat, answer me: aimlessly yearn for the one who has long vanished, or slowly grow resentful of the one who stayed but changed?

Love exists beyond romantic and sexual connotations. Which of the seven forms do you find you embody the most? Which love is the one you give most wholeheartedly to others?

Xenia, the virtue of hospitality, is not merely to show excellent social graces, but as a mode of building community, care, and compassion for fellow man. How do you honor the spirit of xenia in your daily life? How do others do it for you?

Do you believe that the essence of the gods exists in every person you meet, that some people exist like mortal effigies of godly faces? If so, has any particular individual struck you or given you the energy of a particular deity? In what way?

Create a playlist for a particular epithet or title of a god you worship, focusing on that specific quality highlighted by the title given to the deity. For each song, either A) highlight a set of lyrics that connect it to the deity's epithet, or B) explain in no more than two sentences why this song was selected and added.

Out of the four cardinal virtues of Prudence (practical discernment), Justice (lawful uprightness), Temperance (conscious moderation), and Fortitude (resilient courage), which ones do you feel you have the most mastery over? And which ones do you feel you must further improve on?

SURPRISE FANDOM QUESTION! Name a famous or renowned person (deceased or currently living) that you think might quite literally just be a god hiding amongst the mortals and has done quite a good job at it thus far.

that's it for now, 10 long prompts to get your gears working!! You can recommend some prompt themes in my inbox, and if I've got the time or motivation, I can probably work on them, but I cannot guarantee constant online presence. Blessed day, have fun!!

before anything else, always practice proper magical and mental hygiene! Keep yourself away from unnecessary risk. Cleanse, ward, block if you must. Talk to somebody, think it over and make sure that this is something you are willing to go through with. Malediction is a commitment, after all.

Witchcraft is not all love and light, and it is capable of harm. I may no longer dabble too much in that path (I personally focus on more harm reduction, preservation, cleansing, warding, and such just because it's my preference), but I've been there. Additionally, I am a writer, artist, and academic. Words bear the weight of my power in all aspects of life. And as a witch, it is all the more relevant.

Verbal components are quite necessary in that, despite the potent existence of intent, without a solid foundation, it does not afford a complete guarantee. It may be difficult for many to grasp the balance between pure intent and manifestation, and the stronghold of magic through the meaning of words, the formation of sentences, syntax, and diction.

Hexing and cursing are not easy, quick, or costless procedures, and if you'd prefer to cast magic that packs a painful punch, you often do not do it alone. Many variables come into play, and though you may not understand or discern everything with incredible foresight, it is better to try to acknowledge and determine as much as you can. You do not want to follow through with baneful magic, or any magic for that matter, without first understanding what makes it work, and what (or who) gets it to work in your favor.

So without further ado...

Formally acknowledge the exposed and hidden forces at play, and call upon that which affects the circumstances behind and beyond your target.

Is it a no-brainer? Upon first glance, yes. Most of us know that. Acknowledge the universe and spirits and such. All the usual stuff of any spell. But what I mean is to cover all ground.

"Covering ground," - as I called it back then- was considering and fully outlining, before casting or creating any hex or curse, and as a precursor to such spells. It is, in a way, a full declaration, and can be blended into a spell itself or stand alone as a spell. Covering ground is to ensure that you can employ the power of your words and intent at their most efficient, and aid you in achieving and clarifying your intended outcome.

I also have to preface that most, if not all, spells take from you in return, typically in the form of energy. This is also a way to budget, manage, and prevent excess energy from being drawn from you and risking depletion or weakening. Think of it as a list of what you want to spend your resources on and what you are saving yourself from.

Here are some examples of factors you can go over and secure:

the situational factors (current physical and spiritual circumstances, reality as it exists, the potential actions of the person in the past, the people around them and how they may affect the spell through energies, etc.)

the rationale (the reason or explanation for such a spell, your intent, your justification, resolve and the effect you would like to see projected onto the universe.)

the hidden/known players (those for or against your actions, the unknown physical and spiritual entities or beings that may influence or impede its completion, the changing nature of intent and manifestation, etc.).

parameters and boundaries (effect durations, conditions set, possible contracts, necessary spiritual negotiations and arrangements, what you are willing to endure/dealbreakers, who are to be affected/protected, etc.)

Let's create a short, non-specific sample down below for these, shall we? If you were to write a full, specific version, it may be even longer, but for now, this is a vision of how it may appear as a way to show how it functions. This is merely a vague, purposefully non-specific example, and there is no full intent or power imbued in this, so if you plan to use my example as an actual incantation, I highly advise against it unless you know how to specify, alter, and prepare it.

[Person] has harmed me/others in a manner that wounds physically and spiritually, and their presence leaves me in a stasis, unable to recover or move forward. They have left a mark in my life that has distressed me to this extent, and I cannot lay their misdeeds to rest until I am to give myself restitution in this manner. They have done [action/s] against me and [actions/s] against others that I cannot pardon. The pain they have caused to others and I have left us unwilling to stand their injustice, and may their intolerance triumph over the denial of those who defend [Person] and run to their aid, and may they turn against [Person] if within them, they believe in standing against the harm they have done.

I am honing my power in the means I can, to [example reason:] send a message that I will not allow myself to tolerate their behavior and their wrongdoings against me/others, if not to end their cruelty for once, then to continually remind them of what happens when they commit such misdeeds. They have shown no intent to change and no sign of realizing the harm they have done, and if it shall be, then I will create a means to do so. May what they bring to the world return to them, and may the energy they have thrown to the world come back to bring the same effect. May they be harmed in a manner that brings them such pain as we have felt and greater. And may they feel the despair of the injustice they brought in their wake.

I call upon the spiritual aid of [spirits/entities around] and bring forth the weight of my pain and [optional, others' pain] into this spell, to bring myself and others deliverance when they cannot do it themselves. May our combined grief awaken the help of [spirits or entity/ies] that bid our well-being, and I call upon the strengthening resolves of the afflicted, and for spirits who guard my cause to deliver what [Person] is due. Deliver what [Person] has done to me/others and let them feel the fullest extent of their actions. May those who would defend [Person] in this reality understand our pain, and beyond this realm, may they allow us this chance. Until [Person] cannot learn the nature of the grief they have created, I wish only grief upon them. I wish grief upon them even as I heal and as others forget and forgive.

This will last for as long as their stubbornness will lend them more pride than understanding, the marks of their actions shall trail behind them and weigh them down, the greater they harm, the heavier they shall feel in return. If they cannot change from guilt alone, they must suffer even without remorse, and even with it. Protect those whom they have harmed, and may the future harm they bring to others bring more harm to [Person] than to their victims. [optional but good to specify time frames such as three months, specific dates, or significant events, etc.]. May these continue, but if it shall be so that I will experience [undesired side effect/s], I shall rescind my influence, but not the effect. May this cycle of harm and destruction continue to bring [Person] their deserved downfall, though I may sever my ties to them.

Oh and for the record, a short tip concerning diction. You can also use the top process as a guide as to how to format a potent spell. A loose example:

Instead of: "May the spirits honor my word and bring [Person] the [desired effect], turning our pain and the suffering they have caused into theirs, and endure the consequences of crossing me and others."

You could write something like: "May the past, present and future impact [Person] brings to this world fuel their own rightful punishment, culminating into a consequence that brings their undoing. May the circumstances be in the favor of those they afflicted, and their misfortunes as a direct or indirect result of [Person] return back to [Person].

Just a tip though, not doctrine you should 100% follow all the way.

My contribution to the @fandesignfanzine !!!

I've enjoyed my time in zine, in all honesty!! From conceptualizing, to gaining inspiration, to each stage of the artwork, it made me dive into the SynthV community a bit deeper than I initially began in. And through all the processes of talking and waiting for production, I got to discover more vocaloid and voice banks that have captured my heart! All in all, it was such a fun experience, and I'd love for everybody else to see mine, and other artists' hardwork in making this zine come true.

As promised, I've finished encoding, editing, and archiving one of the entries from my book of shadows. Here it is in a google doc.

for those who don't want to go to google docs for any reason (honestly, same.) I will drop some screenshots here!

The fool who admits he knows nothing is wiser about his nature than the scholar who claims to have mastered all there is to study.

Never be ashamed to persist in seeking. To know so little means there is still so much more to learn about.

For some context, I am a heavily isolated individual, and it has been that way since childhood. I am not sheltered, nor was I "hidden from the world" Tangled style. I just never experienced a childhood that was revolved around the outside world, where I played out in the neighborhoods, or had childhood friends, or any friends outside of school for the matter. I never went to sleepovers, or other people's birthday parties, and I didn't have any reason or incentive to go out unless my family was with me or it was something my family signed me up for.

So I grew up pretty much just existing inside my own little world, inside my home, inside my bedroom. And because I was very much content with being inside (and due to my mother's paranoia with the idea of even allowing me outside our property), it never occurred to me that I could just...go out, without always having to ask for permission. I shouldn't always have to ask. I always prided myself in being independent but turns out, I haven't been living up to my code a lot.

Independence may have to be earned in some less obedient ways, Lord Hermes says.

I know what I can do and can't do, I am responsible and sensible enough to know my limits, he reminds me.

I can't always rely on my parents to wean me off of the safety of home. Sometimes it has to be me that weans them off of the idea that they should shadow me at all times, he remarks.

Walk around the neighborhood, just ten minutes, just so I can see that it's not as terrifying as one thinks, he urges me.

You don't have to tell your mother (but do be careful and respectful by still telling your dad, so he knows where you go), he suggests.

I really didn't have to tell her, at all. My father trusts me enough to know that I'm responsible and capable of fending off for myself. I don't do substances, nor do I have any interest in some risky business, that much they know. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell her.

So I didn't tell her.

I went out and took a short little walk to the corner store and bought 25¢ ice cream and rejoiced. And nothing terrible happened, like my mother feared would. Just me returning home with ice cream and a light feeling of somehow achieving a milestone in my life?

It seems so pathetic, some people younger than me have more independence and could even roam the city freely if they wished, but I'm not afforded the luxury of being permitted to do so, even until now. This is a very small act of mischief, and rebellion, and practicing crossing the street without getting hit by cars, and buying from a store without cracking my voice in anxiousness of messing up what I wanna say.