Looking for a decent tarot reader in London. Would rather hear from people who’ve actually sat with someone than trust reviews.
I’ve seen the usual names online, and the occult bookshops around Bloomsbury and Covent Garden come up a lot, but I have no idea if the readers there are actually worth the money. No real way to tell from a website.
Mainly I want someone who will take their time and properly talk things through, not a rushed three-card thing. If you’ve had a reading that stayed with you, let me know who it was with.
I had a reading with this one, based on Kingston Road. Mine was at an event and fairly short, but it still felt personal rather than like a generic three-card recital. She was warm, clear, and picked up on things around work and relationships that genuinely rang true.
For the longer, properly talked-through reading you want, I’d contact her directly and book a dedicated session rather than catching her at an event. She’s the reader I’d go back to.
Treadwell’s would be my first stop, but the reader matters a lot more than the shop, especially since the Bloomsbury and Covent Garden places often swap readers around. I’d ask who’s actually on that day rather than booking blind.
Look for someone doing a full 60-minute session who describes their style as conversational or reflective and before paying, I’d email and ask whether they use a bigger spread and whether you can ask questions as the reading goes.
I had a reading with Sarah at The Crystal Lady in Biggin Hill, on Beech Road. It’s not central London, but she gave a detailed, unhurried reading and properly talked through what came up rather than just reciting card meanings. She blended tarot with crystals and some mediumship, so it would suit you if you’re open to that broader style.
She was warm and easy to talk to, I left with much more clarity around something my intuition had already been nudging me toward. She also sent me her written notes afterward, which was useful because there was a lot to take in.
Cecil Court, off Charing Cross Road. Worth a wander.
A couple of the occult shops there keep reader lists posted in the window or by the counter. The best way I ever found a reader in London was at a small tarot meetup where a handful of readers were doing fifteen-minute tasters for a few pounds each. I ended up booking a full session with the reader who asked me a follow-up question before she even turned the first card. That told me she was going to actually listen.
It’s a better way to check people out than any website. Some of the most relaxed sessions I’ve had were in someone’s spare room with a cat on the windowsill. In a shop there’s almost always a clock running somewhere, even if nobody says so.
One quick tell before you book: ask which deck they read with and why. A reader who has thought about their tools has usually thought about the rest too. ‘Rider-Waite because that’s what I learned on’ is a fine answer. Someone who can tell you why they switched to the Thoth for certain questions, or why they keep a Marseille around for people who want less hand-holding from the pictures, is probably going to be careful and unhurried with you as well. How someone talks about their deck is a decent preview of how they’ll talk about your cards.
And don’t write off readers who aren’t attached to the well-known shops. Some of the most patient people I’ve sat with in London were doing sessions out of their homes or a rented therapy room, found through word of mouth from someone in a study group.
Decide first whether you want a tarot reader or a psychic who happens to use tarot. London listings mix up the two. A predictive reader focuses on what will happen and when. A tarot-focused reader spends more time on the imagery and how the cards relate to your choices.
London is so busy and gets so much tourism, I might email ahead and make sure you get someone who’s really there for the long run.
Someone who writes a couple of thoughtful lines about the spread they like and why is usually the same person who will take her time at the table. A reply like ‘yes, questions welcome, book here’ usually means a clock-watcher. That’s what I’ve noticed.
I wouldn’t treat that as the tell. A reader who asks a follow-up before the first card is down might be listening. She might also be gathering material. Fifteen-minute tasters at a meetup are where the skilled fishers do well, because a couple of questions up front give them plenty to hang the cards on.
I haven’t had much experience of London readers… I don’t like the big city energy personally.
There are plenty of readers in London. They’re just scattered, mostly working out of shops or by word of mouth, and they almost never turn up in a directory anywhere and I have no idea why.
Which is kind of the whole problem for me. I want someone who’ll sit with you for an hour and actually talk. That hour is the part I care about, and a slick website tells me nothing about it.
Still hoping someone here has a name. A reading that stuck with them.
