Moonbeam I don't really use (though I hear if you get the triple beam they can all hit a single target) or the darkside one (mostly because I refuse to make cast builds and don't value it as more than a defensive panic button), but the meteor is BIG damage for doing what I was already doing anyway, and the one that transforms enemies makes clearing through later rooms extremely safe and consistent, plus it basically nullifies every add phase the bosses have.
I consistently try to mostly max the hex tree each run unless I just roll an absolutely terrible set of perks, but that's really rare. Not having them was a big part of why my high fear underworld run was so hard to pull off, Selene just wouldn't show up for some reason.
Look, I can name a few instances in MY life where I tried to reach mutual understanding
and i can TELL you, always faster and easier to just kill em. Just is!