1. Our Pledge
In an ecosystem rife with appropriation, misinformation, and commercial exploitation, Open Occult commits to:
Radical Transparency
We document not just our successes but our mistakes and corrections
See our Corrections Log in The Vault
Cultural Integrity
We clearly label cultural origins and respect closed practices
Cultural context warnings on relevant content
No Paywalls on Knowledge
Core occult education remains free and accessible
Open-source reference materials and APIs
Community Oversight
Users can challenge our sources and interpretations
Public issue tracker for content disputes
Why This Matters
- Occult knowledge has historically been gatekept or distorted
- New age commercialization often erases cultural context
- Digital occult tools frequently lack accountability
2. Data Usage
What We Collect
- Account Data: Only what's necessary for functionality
- Usage Patterns: Aggregated and anonymized
- Community Contributions: With clear attribution
What We Never Collect
- Personal spiritual practices not shared with us
- Private ritual details
- Sensitive biometric data
Data Rights
- Export all your data anytime via account settings
- Request permanent deletion (excluding legal requirements)
- Opt out of non-essential tracking
3. Content Accountability
Source Documentation
Every piece of information on Open Occult traces back to:
- Historical primary sources
- Academic secondary sources
- Community-vetted living traditions
Correction Protocol
- Identification: Community or internal review flags potential issues
- Verification: Cross-checked with subject matter experts
- Action: Immediate content update with change log
- Transparency: Public documentation in The Vault
Recent Corrections
June 2023 - Crowley References
Removed uncritical usage of Thelemic materials and added contextual warnings
March 2023 - Norse Runes
Updated interpretations based on academic rather than neo-pagan sources
4. Security Practices
Protecting Your Data
- End-to-end encryption for all sensitive communications
- Regular third-party security audits
- Minimal data retention policies
Incident Response
In the event of a security breach:
- All affected users notified within 72 hours
- Public post-mortem after resolution
- Remediation plan published
Security Tips for Practitioners
- Use unique passwords for spiritual accounts
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Be cautious when sharing ritual details online
5. Open Development
Public Roadmap
Our development process is visible through:
- Public GitHub repositories for core tools
- Quarterly development updates
- Community feature voting
How to Contribute
For Developers
- Contribute to our open-source libraries
- Audit our cryptographic implementations
- Build with our APIs
For Practitioners
- Submit source corrections
- Suggest cultural context additions
- Participate in content reviews
6. Contact
To report issues or ask about our policies:
Email: ethics@openoccult.com
Secure Drop: PGP key available on request
For urgent content concerns, please include "URGENT CORRECTION" in subject line.