Comprehensive FAQ

NOTE: This is a living document that is organized by topic with similar questions grouped together. As such it will be updated from time to time.

Table of Contents

Getting Started & Enrollment

How do I sign up?

Just click any of the “Join Now” buttons around the site. You’ll be guided to create an account and choose your subscription option.

How do I log on to the Academy?

Using the username you created as an Academy member or the email used during registration, you can log in from https://www.academyofdivination.com.

What should I do first after signing up?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “What happens after I sign up?” / “Where do I start?”

On the Home Page:

  • Scroll down to read the Announcements
  • Check out Recent Posts under Announcements for newest information
  • Review the rotating information for upcoming events
  • Click on the image below “This week’s lessons” and follow the checklist
  • Personalize your profile
  • Look for a few welcome emails: one from Dusty and at least one from our admin goddess getting you set up with practice groups and study buddies
  • You’ll get instant access to the student dashboard and can start the course immediately.

Course Structure & Materials

Do I need to purchase books?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “What materials do I need?” / “Is there anything else needed other than books and cards?”

Yes. You’ll need:

  • The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot—EVER!!
  • Advanced Tarot Secrets
  • A Rider-Waite tarot deck (original in yellow box, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith) or any similar deck, such as the Universal Waite, Radiant, or deck that specifically uses Pam’s art. The problem with using other decks is that the art and colors change the meanings of the cards and your interpretations. But more important than that is that your study buddies will be looking at different cards than you are, and this will make practicing with others difficult and frustrating.

The lessons refer to information in both books, which serve as textbook-workbooks with LOTS of practice exercises. Generally speaking, you really need time — nothing is more precious than time spent with your cards doing exercises and playing games. We will teach you everything the best readers in the world have spent decades learning — but you need as much hands-on time with your cards as possible. This is what makes you a great reader.

Which tarot deck should I use?

The course is taught using the original Rider-Waite Tarot deck (yellow box, Pamela Colman Smith artwork). The Radiant Rider-Waite is also acceptable. Universal Waite or any clone faithful to Rider-Waite art works too. We can’t overemphasize how much EASIER your life will be by using one of these decks. Also, they work the best.

How long is the course?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “Can I go at my own pace?” / “How much time does the course take each week?”

This is a complete course, from absolute beginner to $300 an hour master tarot reader level, complete with certification, and then we are here to help you build your practice, client list, and business network. In other words, this is not some fly-by-night home study course made up to take your money and shove you out the door.

You learn by doing, not by reading a few books and memorizing spreads and card meanings. Now that said, you will have several opportunities every week to study, practice, or both. But it really is self-paced. Think of it like going to college online. You really should keep up with the coursework, but there are only a few hours of videos every week, and you can choose to practice alone or with friends. You can come to as many practice groups as there is room for you and that we have available in your time availability. That said, we can’t force other students to show up when it is convenient for you, but we try hard to make sure that everyone gets at least one good practice group a week. And don’t forget that we also have free workshops or office hours with Dusty every week. So you will have several opportunities to connect with others live or over chat, and even forums.

But plan on a few hours each week (on average) either playing with your cards, taking lessons whenever it is convenient for you, or coming to our live sessions. Remember, new lessons come out every week, and they get more in-depth as you go, as everything builds on what you have just learned.

Is this live or pre-recorded?

Both! You get access to pre-recorded video lessons, live practice groups, and also the live workshops and office hours. Keep in mind though that if you want personalized live teaching specifically tailored to you at this level of expertise, we offer those for a much higher price. Go ahead and ask us about those!

But make sure to get in our practice groups, live workshops, office hours with Dusty, and interact with others in video calls, forums, chat, and meetups.

Beginner Questions & Prerequisites

Do I need to be psychic to join?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “What if I’m a total beginner with no psychic abilities?” / “Do I need special powers?”

Absolutely not! You don’t need to be “born psychic” or have special powers. Everyone has an intuition — we’ll help you strengthen it like a muscle. We love beginners because there’s less “New Age fluff” blocking your intuition. You have fewer bad habits to unlearn and fewer formulas to un-memorize.

I’ve been reading for 10/20/30 years – what can you teach me?

Many of our best students have been reading for decades. No one on the planet teaches what you’ll learn here. We’ve gathered secrets from hundreds of the world’s best professional readers and our own experiences over the past fifty years. We are also members of various mystery schools, and while we will never reveal their secrets, we know what it’s like on the inside and we are creating a unique safe environment for you based on the knowledge we have gleaned over the decades. You are learning not from one person who left the corporate world to make a tarot website; you are learning from the combined direct life experience of hundreds of years of professional psychic, tarot, and astrology readings and research.

Check out Advanced Tarot Secrets for proof of what we offer experienced readers. No one can make you as good we we can, and you will be surprised at how much fun it is going “back to school” — this time with friends.

Is this course for beginners?

Yes – and it’s also for advanced readers who want to fill gaps or get dramatically better. All levels are welcome. We cater to your unique needs.

Practice Groups & Community

When can I join a practice group?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “How do practice groups work?” / “What can I expect from practice groups?”

Practice groups open as soon as we can find one that meets your unique schedule. While we can’t force anyone to practice with you — or even to practice at all — we make it our highest priority to make sure that no one has to do this alone (unless they want to). If your schedule is open and you are easy to work with, we can get you in more groups, and faster than those who are hard to place.

But practice groups are the best! You broaden your mind in ways you could never accomplish alone. We cover games and exercises from both textbooks, including spread casting and reading. We use various platforms for audio-only calls, weekly for about an hour.

Why must practice groups be moderated?

Think of moderators as training wheels – they help keep you steady and on track, preventing you from falling or hurting yourself as you learn. They also keep sessions from getting boring while no one has any idea what to do or how to start. They also gently keep practice sessions from becoming drama zones or gossip fests. In other words, they make group session fair and fun!

When can I get a study buddy?

After you’ve built experience in moderated practice groups, you can pair off with a study buddy. Moderators will recommend when you’re ready and suggest good matches. While you can make friends right away and study with anyone, we have found over the years that a careful, moderate approach goes a long way in avoiding forced pairings or situations where people don’t like who they are paired up with. People are people after all, so occasionally there will be friction. We are simply trying to minimize that.

I don’t know anyone who likes tarot – who can I practice with?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “I live in a remote area – will there be practice groups in my timezone?” / “I’m all alone – how can I get someone to study with me?”

We have students all over the world – Americans studying with Europeans, Australians, Kiwis, and Asians. We’ve never failed to get people together to study. We have secret communities in various online platforms staffed by friendly moderators to help you connect. But that happens when you are ready, not when you walk in the door.

Do I have to study by myself or join a group?

No to both! Practice groups are optional. If you want to study alone, that’s your choice. But if you want study partners, we excel at connecting people.

What if I can’t make it to a practice group?

Our friendly tarot forums are packed with places to practice exercises and play tarot games. This may be more convenient for those unable to attend weekly groups. This was the original model way back in 2009 by the way. We used to all do the exercises and play the games on the forums at advancedtarotsecrets.com.

Technical Support & Platform

Where are my weekly lessons?

You will always be emailed the link for your lessons so that you never miss any. Additionally, you can check your profile and find the growing list of lessons you have access to. Full details and instructions are displayed prominently on your dashboard.

What if I need tech support?

Email us or drop a message in the forums. We’ll help quickly (unless we’re buried under a tarot deck – give us a few hours).

Pricing & Refunds

Why are lessons so cheap?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “Is this a scam?” / “How can this be $10/week when others charge $300+?”

Several reasons:

  • These the recordings of lessons taught live (for much much more money)
  • We have an obsession with making life-changing instruction affordable for everyone
  • We expect you to stay long after you have passed the basic courses and be a productive member of our tight-knight metaphysical community. Out in the “real world” you will find it hard meeting well-trained friendly people who love the tarot and astrology (and other subjects) as much as you do. We have invested decades and millions of dollars into building this dream of a friendly community off real psychics, away from the drama of social media and local cliques.
  • If this were a scam, we’d be charging much more. And upfront.

What if I don’t like your teaching style? Can I get a refund?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “How do I get a refund?” / “What’s your refund policy?”

Try our hundreds of FREE preview lessons first to see if you like our teaching style. They can be found in video and podcast format. We can give away all of this for free and still not teach you the best of what we know — because we are real. We are the best. And we want you to be the best. The world is full of dime-store amateurs and scammers. You are better than that. But still, we offer a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee on your most recent payment.

Send us a message and we’ll process an immediate refund through our platform; or if it is more complicated for any reason, we’ll need to unenroll you first, then typically PayPal the refund directly. Make sure we know how to pay you.

Will I be charged tax?

Well, that depends. It seems every year the various governments want to tax more and more things. It seems that now even education is taxed. We work through a Merchant of record (or “MoR”) to simplify the process. EU students will be charged VAT (EU requirement). US students sometimes get charged tax – save your receipts for potential tax deductions.

Professional Development

Can I really earn money doing this?

Yes! Many students charge $60-$150/hour already, and the industry standard is that “popular psychics” charge $240 to $450 an hour. You don’t have to believe us. Do some deep research on Google and find out for yoruself. Wow, suddenly $10 a week sounds pretty cheap to make between $60 and $450 an hour.

Of course when you are ready, we include aa a bonus our $5,000 course on getting clients a LOT of ethically and legally.

What if I don’t want to do this for a living?

That’s fine! Our courses accomplish three things:

  • Transform beginning readers into great readers
  • Make good readers expert readers
  • Build an inclusive community for lifelong support

You never have to get a job reading cards. The most important benefit is developing your intuition using our exclusive techniques.

Can I study both tarot and astrology?

Yes! You can start with either and add the second later. Everything is included under your account. Easy peasy.

Can I deduct tuition from my taxes?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “Can I write off tarot decks and books?”

Ask your accountant! This is a vocational school. If you’re pursuing a career or already charging for readings, you might be eligible for tax breaks. Keep all receipts and show them to your tax preparer.

About Dusty White & The School

Who is Dusty White?

I’ve been on a quest for metaphysical truth since age 5. Started reading tarot at 11 (very badly), struggled for 15 years, then it clicked around age 26. Got picked up by several of the very first psychic hotlines in the early 1990’s, read for 20-40 people daily for years on end. I’ve been reading for 50+ years, teaching for almost 30.

I wrote what was for a time the #1 bestselling tarot book on Amazon (The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot—EVER!!) and Advanced Tarot Secrets. I have no traditional job. My “job” is helping people transform their lives and reading for clients. It’s a fun job! You will love reading for people too.

What makes this school different from other tarot and astrology courses?

SIMILAR QUESTIONS: “How is this different from other courses?”

We don’t do fluff, filler, or formulas that don’t work. This is a hands-on, community-supported system developed over decades of real-world client work. Our students don’t memorize formulas or card meanings — they master their psychic abilities. You learn to actually help people, and build a career if that’s your goal.

Is your school accredited?

No. The US Government doesn’t recognize “divination, magic, manifestation” as fulfilling accreditation requirements. We’re always improving our curriculum quality, and if we can convince governing bodies of our integrity and results, we’ll apply for accreditation.

Are you a non-profit organization?

Not yet, but maybe someday! Getting 501(c)(3) status involves significant paperwork, but we’re considering it for potential student benefits.

I live outside the US – is that okay?

No problem! We have students from over 50 countries. Everything is online and timezone-friendly.

Additional Questions

What do I bring to practice groups?

A Rider-Waite deck (or faithful clone), textbooks, pen/pencil, notepad, and optionally a phone/camera for photographing spreads. A good attitude and an open mind are bonuses everyone else appreciate.

How do I contact moderators?

Through our private message system. We have full instructions and helpful guides on how to do all of this.

Is there a school calendar?

Yes! Check our school calendar to see what’s happening for everyone.

If you can’t find your question here, contact us! We’re here to help build the amazing metaphysical community you deserve.

P.S. This list is a living document and as such it will be updated over time.