Sometimes you want to explore a question — a relationship, a decision, a curiosity about your chart — without leaving any trace of it behind. Maybe you’re on a shared computer. Maybe the question feels too tender to keep. Maybe you just prefer your reflections to be ephemeral. That’s what Private session mode is for: a simple toggle that lets you use every tarot and astrology tool on Astracana fully, while writing nothing to storage. Here’s exactly how it works and what changes when it’s on.
What Private Session Mode Is
Private session is a toggle — labeled “Private session” — available on Astracana’s tool pages. When you switch it on, the site sets a flag in your browser’s sessionStorage under the key astracana_private_v1. SessionStorage is like localStorage’s shorter-lived sibling: it exists only for the duration of your browser tab session and is automatically discarded when you close the tab.
One important reassurance first: nothing leaves your browser in either mode. Astracana’s normal mode already stores everything locally on your device — journal entries, birth profiles — and never sends data to any server. Private session doesn’t add a new layer of network privacy (there’s nothing to add); it adds a layer of local privacy: while it’s on, the site doesn’t even write to your browser’s storage.
What Changes When It’s On
Exactly two behaviors change:
- Journal saving is disabled. Normally, your tarot draws are recorded to your journal history automatically. In a private session, the journal’s
add()function becomes a no-op — it runs, does nothing, and returns. Your readings happen, you see the results, and no record of them is kept. - Profile saving is disabled. The “save birth profile” action is likewise disabled — entering birth data to compute a chart works fine, but the site won’t store the profile for next time.
Everything else works identically. Card draws use the same randomization. Chart calculations use the same engine. Interpretations are the same text. Private session changes retention, not function — it’s the same tools with no memory.
What Stays the Same (and Why That Matters)
It’s worth being explicit about what private mode does not do, because the name invites over-interpretation:
- It doesn’t change what’s sent to servers — which is nothing, in both modes.
- It doesn’t hide your visit from your network, employer, or ISP — that’s what VPNs and browser private windows are for, and it’s outside any website’s power.
- It doesn’t affect other tabs — the flag lives in sessionStorage, which is scoped to the tab session where you enabled it.
- It doesn’t delete anything previously saved — old journal entries and profiles remain until you remove them separately (via the journal and My Astracana page).
Think of it as the difference between writing in pencil and thinking out loud: normal mode keeps notes for you; private mode lets the thoughts pass through without a trace.
When to Use It
- Shared or public devices. Library computer, a friend’s laptop, a family tablet — anywhere you don’t want your readings persisting after you leave. (Close the tab when done; sessionStorage clears with it.)
- Tender questions. Some readings are for the moment only — a question you’re not ready to keep, a feeling you want to witness without archiving.
- Experimentation. Testing spreads, trying “what if” birth data, exploring hypothetically — without cluttering your real journal or profile.
- Gifting a reading. Doing a quick reading for a friend on your device, without their data ending up in your storage.
Private Session vs. Your Browser’s Private Window
These solve different problems and combine well. Your browser’s private/incognito window prevents the browser from keeping history, cookies, and storage after the session. Astracana’s private session prevents the site from writing journal and profile entries during the session. Using both together gives you the cleanest ephemeral experience: the site writes nothing, and the browser remembers nothing afterward. For maximum discretion on a shared device, use both — and close the window when you’re done.
A Note on What “Private” Can Promise
We describe this feature precisely because privacy claims deserve precision. “Private session” on Astracana means exactly: no journal entries written, no profile saved, flag kept in tab-scoped sessionStorage, nothing transmitted anywhere (as always). It doesn’t mean anonymity from your network or device — no website feature can promise that. We’d rather give you an accurate, modest privacy tool than an impressive-sounding vague one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is private session the same as my browser’s incognito mode?
No — they solve different problems, and they combine well. Incognito/private browsing stops your browser from keeping history, cookies, and storage after the session. Astracana’s private session stops the site from writing journal entries and profiles during the session. Use both together on a shared device for the cleanest ephemeral experience: the site writes nothing, the browser remembers nothing, and closing the window finishes the job.
Do readings work the same in private session?
Identically. Card draws use the same randomization, chart calculations use the same engine, and interpretations are the same text. Private session changes only retention — the journal’s save function becomes a no-op and profile saving is disabled. Nothing about the reading experience itself is reduced, watermarked, or limited. It’s the full tool with no memory, not a demo mode.
How do I know private session is on?
The toggle shows its state clearly on the tool pages — when it’s on, you’ll see the active indicator, and journal/profile save controls reflect the disabled state. The flag itself lives in sessionStorage (astracana_private_v1), which is scoped to your current tab session: opening a new tab starts fresh (private off), and closing the tab discards the flag automatically. If you’re ever unsure, glance at the toggle — the UI is the source of truth.
Try it: open any tool, switch on Private session, and explore freely — then manage what’s kept (or delete it) anytime on My Astracana.