Questions for Jaye about Dirty Magic

[Chelsea]

Have something you've always wanted to ask Jaye about writing DIRTY MAGIC? Post them here and she'll check in every so often to answer them!

[Kimberly]

Which stage of alchemy is represented by Dirty Magic?

[Jaye]

Hi Kim,

Dirty Magic is the "calcinatio" book. That's the first stage of alchemy.

Calcinatio is about transformation through fire. A solid is heated to burn off all water until it turns into ash.
Psychologically it's associated with the destruction of ego through a humbling process of trials and tribulations.

Symbols and associated correspondences include:
Antimony: the wolf of metals aka Gray Wolf (used to purify gold)
Color: Black, Magenta
Planet: Saturn
Metal: Lead
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Tarot Cards: The Magician, Justice, The Devil

[Kimberly]

Very cool! I have a question that involves a pretty big spoiler so I want to wait until more people have gotten further in the book before I ask it. So here's a less spoiler-y one:

It's mentioned that "[C]ourts had deemed evidence gathered through magical means inadmissible." Why? Are the results easy to falsify, or unable to be confirmed by independent Adepts? Or is it like lie detector tests that are easily misinterpreted?

[Jaye]

Kim wrote: "Very cool! I have a question that involves a pretty big spoiler so I want to wait until more people have gotten further in the book before I ask it. So here's a less spoiler-y one:

It's mentioned ..."

There are a couple of reasons:
1. As you mentioned, results are easy to falsify and verify using scientific methods.
2. Adepts are distrusted. Even though a lot of Adepts work in CSI labs, they still have to verify results using science. Remember, this is a world where magic wasn't really accepted as real until like 1970s.

[Chelsea]

Kim wrote: "Very cool! I have a question that involves a pretty big spoiler so I want to wait until more people have gotten further in the book before I ask it. So here's a less spoiler-y one:

It's mentioned ..."

Thanks for thinking of the other readers, Kim! If you want to ask you question that may contain spoilers, you can always put a warning at the top so people know to scroll past your question if they haven't read very far yet (Ex: WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!).

[Todd]

Looking at the formatting tips (click on "some html is ok" above the comment box), these boards appear to support the SPOILER tag.

Do this:
<spoiler>Your hidden text goes here.</spoiler>

And it will look like this:
(view spoiler)[Your hidden text goes here. (hide spoiler)]

[Jaye]

Thanks for the hot tip, Todd! That makes everything way easier.

[Chelsea]

Yes, thanks Todd! Didn't know you could do that!

[Kimberly]

Okay, let's see if this works. I did note that the Spoiler stuff was entirely hidden from the mobile app, so I waited until I was at an actual computer. :)

Early in Dirty Magic, it says, "Unlike Mundanes, Adepts rarely became addicted to potions. Some did, but since we could manage the magical energy better it rarely changes how we looked."

(view spoiler)[But Gray Wolf does affect Danny physically, severely so. Is this an indication of how potent a potion GW was? (hide spoiler)]

[Jaye]

Kim wrote: "Okay, let's see if this works. I did note that the Spoiler stuff was entirely hidden from the mobile app, so I waited until I was at an actual computer. :)

Early in Dirty Magic, it says, "Unlike M..."

Great question! Yeah, it was a nasty potion. But also remember that at that point Danny had zero training in magic. So not only could he not cook, but also couldn't control the inner processes of harnessing the energy.