With Halloween just around the corner, spooky season is well and truly underway.
For those looking for a way to celebrate, why not see what fate has in store for you and try out tarot?
From celeb favourites to witchy bookshops, feminine sanctuaries to shamanic shops, I’ve rounded up the best people and places to have your cards read. Good luck! And don’t forget that the Death card usually isn’t that bad.
She’s Lost Control
A modern, feminine, mystic space to head to for all things tarot. You can order cards and crystals online — with a range of options including a deck from their own reader Bel Senlle. Book in for tarot readings and aura photography at their Homerton-based studio, as well as sessions with healers who specialise in a range of fields from astrology, to palmistry, to mediumship. Senlle says, “Tarot is a tool for interpretation — an interpretation is something we all have access to… it affects our intentions toward things, how we approach things in life.” SLC’s studio can also be hired for parties/workshops/showers etc, and they also organise a range of events from sound healing sessions to astrology workshops that can be booked via their website.
She’s Lost Control, 42 Valentine Road E9 7AD
Tarot readings: £85 per session (45 minutes)
Watkins Bookshop
Located near Leicester Square in the heart of Theatreland, Watkins Bookshop can be found down an antique-filled alley. The shop is crammed with literature on the occult, runes, has several bookshelves crammed with tarot cards, and the shop hosts daily readings. From astrology to psychics, each of the tarot experts have their own speciality. One of their most popular is Jacqueline Heaton, a wonderful woman who wouldn’t look out of place in Hogwarts, and can be found in Watkins on Tuesdays.
Watkins Bookshop, 19-21 Cecil Street WC2N 4EZ
Tarot readings: £45 for 30 minutes, £85 for one hour
Call (or stop by) for bookings 020 7836 2182
For those looking for some retail therapy with a side of mysticism, head to Selfridges to see the Psychic Sisters. Founded by tarot reader to the stars Jayne Wallace (Kim Kardashian, Kate Hudson, and Tracey Emin are fans), the Psychic Sisters can be found in the lower level of the store beneath a glowing lilac sign, by a wall of amethyst clusters. There’s a range of readers with different specialities, but I can personally recommend Cleo, who was a lovely, warm, person who gave me a scarily accurate reading, and who I now will need to budget into my life to frequent quarterly. I will now be running all of my major life decisions via Cleo, so please don’t completely overwhelm her with bookings.
Psychic Sisters, Selfridges - Lower Floor W1A 1AB
Tarot readings: £100 for thirty minutes, £190 for one hour
21 SID
If you’d like your tarot served with coffee and baked goods, then head to Hackney’s 21 SID. A fun and eclectic cafe neighbourhood filled with homemade biscuits, cakes, and pastries where the tarot-reading owner, Laura, hosts Sicilian brunches in addition to tarot workshops and readings. To book a reading, DM her on 21SID’s instagram page and she can arrange to read you either in person or online. In person, of course, yields a higher chance of cake in your future.
21 SID, 21 Sidworth Street E8 3SD
Tarot Readings: POA
Treadwell’s Bookshop
A stone’s throw from the British Museum, this charming bookshop is jam-packed with mystical manuals and magical manuscripts. The shop hosts a variety of events each month ranging from tarot workshops to mythical walking tours, meditation classes, “witch choirs”, and “deer magic”. They have readers in store every day, except Monday — when the shop is closed. Treadwell’s also offers online readings if you’d prefer to hear about your future from the comforts of your home - but they do have a strict three month policy to space out your readings and prevent your becoming too addicted.
Treadwell’s Bookshop, 33 Store Street WC1E 7BS
Tarot readings: £50 for thirty minutes, £90 for one hour
Based in Peckham, you can either have private readings with Jess at her studio, or you can visit her at Alfie’s Antique Market on the first Friday of every month. Jess’s practice is dedicated to her Brazilian ancestors, and she comes from six generations of tarot card readers. Her readings are down-to-earth and practical, and she sees herself as a translator to the cards. She can also read in six languages (English, German, Portuguese, to name a few), and hosts workshops in Peckham for tarot learners and practitioners to come together to exchange practical skills and philosophical insight.
Tia Xixa Tarot, 73C Talfourd Road SE15 5NN
Tarot readings: £50 for 30 minutes, £90 for one hour
Bless Stories
A boho-chic shop for “soul seekers and conscious beings” in Stoke Newington that’s filled with crystals, books, ointments, and apparel. It also offers readings, along with hosting workshops, tarot cafe gatherings, as well as reiki and energy healings. I had a wonderful reading with Elea, although there seemed to be a lot of swords involved in my future which was a little unsettling, and I’ll be hiding all the knives in my house. Bless Stories can also arrange corporate events, hen dos, and private gatherings in their East London warehouse (or location of your choosing).
Bless Stories, 111 Stoke Newington Church Street N16 0UD
Tarot readings: £45 for 30 minutes (walk-in readings), £60 for 45 minutes (prebooked readings)
Wilde Ones
If you like your readings with a side of cowboy, deep in sloane-ranger territory, then this Native American shop on King’s Road is for you. Savannah Miller’s a fan, and you can stock up on your turquoise belts, Tibetan singing bowls, shamanic drums, dream catchers, and Native American headdresses. The shop itself is worth a visit alone as it's a treasure trove of jewellery, crystals, soft furnishings, and wall hangings — a portal to Colorado that we didn’t know existed in Chelsea. Tarot readings are hosted in-person from Wednesday to Sunday, and they also offer online readings.
Wilde Ones, 283 Kings Road SW3 5EW
Tarot readings: £70 for 30 minutes (walk-in readings), £70 for 45 minutes (online readings)
Earth to Roots
Based in Clapton, a ten minute walk from Hackney Central and Hackney Downs stations, this holistic wellbeing shop sells a range of balms, oils, and crystals. They also offer a variety of sessions for sound healing, chakra balancing, and crystal healing as well as massage, reflexology, and yoga. Tarot sessions can be booked online with their tarot reader Anna, who offers readings in English and Italian and they focus on “a deep Spiritual, archetypal and symbolic exploration of the self.”
Earth to Roots, 12 Clarence Road E5 8HB
Tarot readings: £45 for one hour
That Witch
For a warm, grounded reading with a side of tea — head to That Witch for tea and tarot at Rica’s cafe in Greenwich Market. Perfect for a date, gift, or a shared experience for two — Megan promises to provide perspective, affirmation, and guidance in her readings. If you don’t want to share the spotlight, or would rather keep your future guarded from the prying eyes of others, then Megan also does private readings at her studio, and at Rica’s. She also specialises in baby showers, hen dos, birthdays, parties, and weddings, should you want to put a mystic spin on an upcoming occasion.
That Witch, 6a Greenwich Market SE10 9HZ
Tea and Tarot for Two: £130 (£65 each)
Tarot readings: £110 for one hour
