Daphne Fama | Preorder House of Monstrous Women

Day 3 of Filipino folklore. Anting Anting-anting have a long history in the Philippines. These items, which may be amulets, clothing, or charms, are said to hold miraculous power. Some of the most common abilities: - An immunity to bullets, blades, or physical harm - Protection against curses - Exorcism of spirits - Increased attraction from the opposite gender - The ability to curse others

The symbols of an anting-anting are a hodgepodge of precolonial animism, Catholic mysticism, and local symbols a nd phrases. Some of the more common symbols you'll see are the all-seeing eye, suns and stars, and the Sator Square, angelic seals, and invented script. But once you have a charm, you must keep it fed. This might require living a virtuous life, reciting secret prayers, or anointing it with blood or holy water.

Day 3 of Filipino folklore in the run-up to House of Monstrous Women's release! Today, we have anting! Charms that can protect you from bullets to curses.

Oh that cover is gorgeous and I love the taglines

YouTube video by Sound & Fury Book Reviews The House of Monstrous Women - Book Review

A wonderful example of how to do modern Gothic horror. A great balance of creepy, visceral scenes and deeper themes. And I learned about Filipino history too!

@daphnefama.bsky.social

#TheHouseofMonstrousWomen #BookReview #booksky #📚💙 #horror #gothichorror

youtu.be/IJUkBleaIoY

I must know the lore

Day 2 of Filipino Folklore Aswang Aswang is an umbrella term that refers to a myriad of monsters, from vampire-like creatures to shapeshifting witches. Nearly all types of aswang have an insatiable desire for human blood, viscera, corpses, or unborn babies. Beautiful women, old widowed women, and women who practice healing have frequently been accused of being aswang. Particularly when Spanish colonizers began spreading Catholicism.

The most common forms for a shapeshifting aswang to take is a black dog or pig. It's at night that aswangs typically chase their hunger, seeking out blood and gore. Aswang have a variety of abilities. Common ones are flight, a heightened sense for pregnancy or blood, moving without a sound and leaving no shadow, mimicking voices (including babies crying), and paralyzing their victims.

Make no mistake, being an aswang is a curse. And there are a number of ways you can become one. In the Visayas, the aswang curse is passed through bloodlines. Usually from mother to daughter. The curse can also be transferred on a dying aswang's deathbed. They must spit out a black object, which can be a stone or egg, into the chosen successor's mouth. This item carries the curse. It may be warm and alive. But you can also choose to become an aswang by conducting a ritual and eating human flesh.

Love Filipino folklore? Grab House of Monstrous Women on August 12

Day 2 of Filipino folklore in celebration of House of Monstrous Women coming out in 6 days! I love making these. Today's feature is the monstrous aswang, which has haunted the Philippines for centuries...

Gimme 🤲

An image of a skull and catholic relic. Day 1 of Filipino Folklore. Paktol. Paktol, which means "to knock on someone's head" in Cebuano, is a type of skull sorcery. The skull must come from an unbaptized person (ideally a child), because they haven't seen god and rest in limbo. Oftentimes the skull is stolen from graves or inherited from an elder sorcerer. It's the spirit connected to the unbaptized skull that is called upon to harm or kill its target.

Branches of specific tree, like the Malaysian persimmon and Philippine hackberry, are put in a triangle formation around the skull. Seven branches on each side. Three wooden wedges and the victim's name written on paper are tied to the skull with black cloth. Offerings to the spirits are placed nearby. Usually incense, liquor, and food.

Once the skull is prepared, the ritual can begin. The ideal time is on Friday at 12 noon or at 8 PM, when night is about to fall. The sorcerer will then call out the name bound to the skull or some other dark entity and begins the invocation. "You are no longer among the living. You are of the dead. I command you, go to the person whose name is written here and kill them." The sorcerer then strikes the wooden wedges beneath the cloth while commanding the spirit to kill. The victim will soon suffer headaches and escalating illness. If no counter-magic is used, they will die in a few weeks.

Love Filipino folklore? Grab House of Monstrous Women on August 12.

House of Monstrous Women releases in 7 days!! To celebrate, I'll be posting some of my favorite folklore in the Philippines. Today's feature is paktol, a black sorcery used to kill its target. (1/4)

!! oh man, thank you, that really made my day 🫂 I really appreciate it

my book is coming out in two weeks and I am nonstop vibrating with excitement and anxiety.

7 colors, pixelart

This finished hardback @daphnefama.bsky.social House of Monstrous Women is fabulous and out from @bantambooksuk.bsky.social on 14th August
My thanks to Ollie for sending it to me

www.penguin.co.uk/books/471378...

Ohhh I've never seen your title before, I love it!

my baby's gonna be in a book club 🥹
ly Women in Horror Book Club @fromthemixedupdesk.bsky.social 💜❤️

damn, that's a glowing review. I know what I'm watching this weekend then

I've been on the fence about committing to this! What'd you like about it?

how it feels to watch maga disintegrate over the epstein files

I thought this was an eye for too long 😭

ask me about filipino witchcraft and mass possession
or idk get my book for free
tinyurl.com/spookybookfo...

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born to create A.I. IS A FUCK KILL EM ALL 2025 I am art man 410,757,864,530 DEAD BOTS

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June 2025: The start of something new An introduction and first look at the kind of updates readers can expect from this blog/newsletter, and from me.

I am pleased to announce that my author website is live and my first blog post/newsletter is up! At the end of every month, I'll post writing updates and any thoughts I have on the writing and publishing process. Sign up to receive an email if you like, but I'll also share each new post here.

Jealous! Hope you enjoy House of Monstrous Women 💜❤️

"I really love horror because I have anxiety." - @daphnefama.bsky.social #alaac25

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For everybody who respects science, likes octopuses, and wonders whether they're fighting hard enough against the banality of evil.

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