Privacy Policy

Last Updated: July 25, 2025

Welcome to the Academy of Divination (“Academy,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you access or use our website, courses, forums, and community services located at academyofdivination.com (“Services”).

Your privacy is fundamental to our educational mission. We are committed to transparency in our data practices and protecting the confidentiality of your personal and educational information. This policy complies with applicable privacy regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other relevant privacy laws.

Contact Information:
📧 privacy@academyofdivination.com
Website: academyofdivination.com

1. Information We Collect

We collect information necessary for providing educational services, maintaining our learning community, and ensuring secure, personalized user experiences. The types of information we collect include:

Personal Identification Information: Full name and preferred name; email address and contact information; login credentials and account preferences; payment and billing information; age verification data (18+ requirement).

Educational and Course Data: Course enrollment and registration information; learning progress, completion status, and performance analytics; assignment submissions and assessment results; certification and credential records; workshop and event participation.

Spiritual and Astrological Information: Voluntarily provided birth date, time, and location for astrological analysis; natal chart interpretations and readings; personal spiritual practices and interests; divination tool preferences and learning focuses.

Community and Forum Activity: Forum posts, comments, and discussion contributions; profile information and biographical details; peer interactions and study group participation; user-generated content and shared experiences.

Technical and Usage Data: IP address, device information, and browser specifications; website usage patterns and navigation behavior; session logs and access timestamps; cookie data and tracking preferences.

Transactional Information: Membership and course purchase history; payment processing data (processed securely through third parties); refund and billing dispute records; subscription management and renewal data.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for legitimate educational and operational purposes, including:

Educational Service Delivery: Providing access to courses, workshops, and learning materials; personalizing educational content and recommendations; tracking learning progress and providing completion certificates; facilitating peer-to-peer learning and community interactions.

Astrological and Spiritual Services: Generating personalized natal charts and interpretations; providing customized learning paths based on spiritual interests; facilitating divination practice sessions and feedback; creating community connections based on compatible practices.

Community Management: Moderating forums and ensuring safe learning environments; facilitating study groups and peer connections; organizing virtual and in-person events; maintaining community standards and guidelines.

Platform Operations: Maintaining website functionality and security; processing payments and managing subscriptions; providing customer support and technical assistance; improving user experience through analytics.

Legal and Administrative Purposes: Complying with applicable laws and regulations; protecting against fraud, abuse, and security threats; enforcing Terms of Service and community guidelines; maintaining business records and tax compliance.

3. Specialized Data Handling

Astrological and Spiritual Data Protection: Given the sensitive nature of spiritual and astrological information, we implement enhanced protections:

Voluntary Disclosure: All spiritual and astrological data is provided voluntarily for educational purposes only.

Secure Storage: Astrological data is encrypted and stored separately from general user data.

Limited Access: Only authorized educational staff may access spiritual data for legitimate educational purposes.

Retention Control: You may request deletion of astrological data at any time.

No Commercial Use: Spiritual data is never used for commercial purposes or shared with third parties.

Important Limitations: Publicly shared astrological information in forums or community discussions cannot always be fully retracted once posted. We recommend careful consideration before sharing personal spiritual information in public forums.

4. Data Sharing and Third-Party Services

We maintain strict limitations on data sharing and work only with trusted service providers:

Necessary Service Providers: Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal); hosting services (cloud infrastructure); email services (delivery and communication platforms); analytics tools (anonymous usage analytics and performance monitoring).

Educational Partners: Guest instructors (limited data sharing for course delivery and student support); certification bodies (sharing completion data for credential verification when applicable).

Legal Requirements: Disclosure when required by law, court order, or regulatory authority; information sharing when necessary to protect user safety or prevent harm.

We Never: Sell personal information to third parties; share data with advertisers or marketing companies; provide information to data brokers; use spiritual or astrological data for commercial purposes.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use various technologies to enhance user experience and maintain platform functionality:

Essential Cookies: Session management and user authentication; shopping cart and payment processing; security and fraud prevention; website functionality and preferences.

Analytics and Performance: Anonymous usage statistics and site performance metrics; learning progress tracking and educational analytics; community engagement and forum participation data.

Cookie Management: You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may limit platform functionality. We do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking purposes.

6. Data Security Measures

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your information:

Technical Safeguards: HTTPS encryption for all data transmission; encrypted databases and secure server infrastructure; multi-factor authentication and role-based access permissions; continuous security patches and software updates.

Administrative Protections: Regular privacy and security training for personnel; strict need-to-know access policies; internal and external security assessments; comprehensive data breach response procedures.

Physical Security: Protected data centers and office environments; secure disposal of hardware and storage devices; encrypted backup storage with geographic redundancy.

7. Data Retention Policies

We maintain clear retention schedules for different types of information:

User Account Data: Retained while the account remains active; deleted after 3 years of inactivity (with prior notice); deletion requests processed within 30 days of verified request.

Educational Records: Course progress retained for 7 years for credential verification; certificates permanently maintained; forum content retained indefinitely for community continuity.

Financial and Legal Data: Transaction records 10 years (for tax and legal compliance); legal documentation retained as required; dispute records 7 years from resolution date.

Analytics Data: Anonymous usage analytics retained 2 years; performance metrics 1 year.

8. Your Privacy Rights

We respect your rights regarding personal information and provide multiple ways to exercise control:

Access and Portability: Request copies of personal data we maintain; download educational progress and completion records; obtain forum posts in portable format.

Correction and Updates: Correct inaccuracies in personal or educational information; update preferences and communication settings; modify astrological and spiritual profile data.

Deletion and Erasure: Request complete account deletion and data erasure; selective deletion of specific categories (subject to legal retention obligations); right to be forgotten.

Objection, Restriction, and Withdrawal of Consent: Object to specific uses of personal information; restrict processing for certain purposes; withdraw consent for processing (including spiritual/astrological data) at any time—withdrawal does not affect prior lawful processing.

To Exercise Your Rights: Contact us at privacy@academyofdivination.com with verification of your identity. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days.

Supervisory Authority: Users in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland may also lodge a complaint with their local data protection supervisory authority if they believe our processing violates applicable law.

9. International Data Transfers

The Academy operates primarily from the United States. If you access our services from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. We implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers and comply with applicable international privacy frameworks. Users outside the U.S. consent to processing under U.S. privacy standards.

For users in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we rely on appropriate transfer mechanisms (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) to ensure adequate protection.

10. Children’s Privacy Protection

The Academy is designed exclusively for adult learners. We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under 18 years of age. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, we will delete such information immediately. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided information to us should contact privacy@academyofdivination.com.

11. Data Breach Response

In the unlikely event of a data security incident, we will promptly investigate and contain the issue; assess affected data and potential impact; implement remedial measures; notify affected users (within 72 hours when legally required); and inform relevant authorities as required by law.

12. Third-Party Content and Services

Our platform may contain embedded content from third-party providers (videos, PDFs, external links). These services may collect their own usage data and cookies, have separate privacy policies, and track user interactions independently. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any third-party services you interact with through our platform.

13. Marketing and Communications

Educational Communications: Course updates and new program announcements; community events and workshop notifications; important policy and service updates.

Consent and Preferences: All marketing communications require explicit consent; easy unsubscribe options in all promotional emails; granular communication preferences in account settings.

Service / Essential Communications: We send required operational emails (lesson access links, billing/payment notices, security alerts, policy updates, certification and moderation messages). These are necessary to deliver the Services and are not marketing. Opting out of marketing emails does not affect your enrollment. If you attempt to opt out of or block all essential communications, we may be unable to provide the Services and will treat this as a voluntary account termination; billing will cease.

No Spam: We prohibit unsolicited communications and maintain comprehensive anti-spam measures.

14. Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of business assets, user information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will provide advance notice, ensure continued privacy protection under this policy, and offer options for users who object to the transfer.

15. Policy Updates and Changes

Notification of Changes: Material changes will be communicated via email; updates posted prominently on our website; continued use of services constitutes acceptance of updated terms.

Version Control: Policy versions are archived and available upon request; change logs detail specific modifications and effective dates.

16. Regional Privacy Compliance

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): California residents have additional rights, including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete personal information, the right to opt out of any sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights. To submit a CCPA request, email privacy@academyofdivination.com with the subject line “CCPA Request” and sufficient information to verify your identity.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): European users have enhanced rights including data portability, rectification, objection to processing, restriction, and lodging a complaint with a supervisory authority.

Other Jurisdictions: We monitor and comply with applicable privacy laws in all jurisdictions where we operate.

17. Contact Information and Support

For all privacy-related questions, concerns, or requests:

Primary Contact:
📧 privacy@academyofdivination.com

Response Time:
We do our best to respond to privacy inquiries within 5 business days and fulfill verified requests within 30 days.

Academy of Divination
Website: academyofdivination.com
Privacy Officer: Dusty White
1259 El Camino Real #1043
Menlo Park, CA 94025
U.S.

Thank you for trusting the Academy of Divination with your personal information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of privacy protection while providing exceptional educational experiences in the divination arts.