Watkins Books

Wow, I nearly went into bookshop shock when I walked into this store. If esoterica is your thing, this shop needs to be at the top of your list of must-​see-​and-​go-​shopping places. In my experience, the selections across multiple topics and disciples was unparalleled.

All my esoteric books have been bought here.
Gossip has it that Scientology have bought the
place since it was about to close down recently.
Whatever, thank god its been saved!

Really friendly, helpful staff and a great stock of esoteric books covering a range of subjects. They also have a huge selection of cheaper second hand books, and a selection of non-​book products as well.

This bookshop is great, I have found many books that have been out of print here.
This bookshop as everyone has stated has all books to do with occult, spiritualism, self help etc you literally can spend hours in here wondering what books to get, luckily they do have people on hand to help out :) I have met many people in this bookshop while browsing.
They have a sale area that is quite good and a psychic you can book a session with. You can also pick up leaflets of things that are happening in the area, lectures and classes.
It’s a shame they don’t have more seating areas, but Starbucks is around the corner, buy a book and head to Starbucks and get yourself a Vanilla Latte

Massive panic recently as Watkins went into administration, but glad tidings have come in the fact that the gentleman who owns the bookshop across the way is buying the place and rescuing this very important shop from liquidation.
The staff are lovely here and there is a wonderful selection of Tarot cards CDs for meditation and trance work, and a lot of occult and new age books. The second hand and value books are helpfully marked with an orange sticker, and the areas of the bookshop clearly labelled.
I hope that Watkins carries on going strong for another 200 years.

As Clarissa D hinted in a previous review Watkins is an esoteric book temple, nay a Mecca. This two floor store is superbly set-​up to keep anyone with a remote or keen interest in the occult, spiritualism or anything linked to magick in here, in bibliophilic rapture for hours.
There are always plenty of attendants on hand to help you search for titles, and if you really fancy it, there is a psychic on site who you can book a session with. Beyond just what’s in-​store Watkins can point you in the direction of esoteric groups and workshops.
Simply put, if you want any books or information surrounding esoteric beliefs, there are two places you must go, Treadwells and Watkins Books.

This was a great bookstore. When it comes to books in general I usually go to used bookstores. When it comes to occult & metaphysics I will make an exception to this rule, but if the occult bookstore carries both new and used, then that is a big plus to my way of thinking. Watkins is a great store and if I ever get the chance, I will be back.

Following my visit to Treadwell’s, I came here to complete my book shop.
It follows a very similar theme, as mentioned previously by Clarissa D. Esoteric books are their forte, and they do it well. When I was there, I saw some 7 or 8 store staff, and a psychic of some measure (I didn’t observe what the activity was, as it was behind a curtain, and I didn’t wish to pry nor look out for a sign to say what it was). All quite helpful and friendly, albeit engaged in deep conversation with eachother. A trend for these kinds of stores, from what I’ve seen — be it with a colleague or customer, conversations flow freely and are nigh on expected, even. It’s not somewhere you really go to ask a load of questions about where to find a book — you browse for that which feels suited to your needs. So whilst I felt a little guilty when I interrupted to check for a book they didn’t have, and again for directions to a tube station (I was a little lost again. Let’s not talk about my attempts to even –find– this place), I still felt included and welcomed.
Spanning over 2 floors, the shop floor itself is spacious enough that you don’t feel too cramped around others, although it is still an inevitability in the corners, of which there are quite a few. However, everyone there was friendly. Idle chatter, banter and moving around for eachother was to be observed and partaken in.
Once again, I was able to find some of the books I wanted, and whilst it came to a bit more than at Treadwell’s, the prices were still quite reasonable, if not cheaper than the RRP. Whilst I didn’t feel quite homely enough to sit and read covers for a further hour, possible induced by my needing to be somewhere before too long, and not wanting to clog up the corner space for the other people near me, I could see myself one day spending a fair bit of time here.
I think a combination of Watkins and Treadwell’s could quite easily formulate into the perfect esoteric haven for all, quite frankly. They both do what they do well, and lack a mark where the other one had it.

The best New Age, Metaphysical, Theosophical bookshop in London. A real alladins cave of knowledge.

Watkins is an esoteric book temple. They carry new and used books on all types of spiritual subjects, from Buddhism, Wicca, astrology to I-​Ching and much more. Tarot cards, candles and other spiritual artifacts are also for sale here. Whenever I need a little divine inspiration I go into this shop to peruse the selection. Most of the time I am tempted to lie facedown on the floor and start meditating, but although this place is a tolerance sanctuary, for some reason I don’t think that kind of behaviour would be acceptable. If you’re into tarot card readings or psychics, professionals come here to give readings for a fee a few days a week. You don’t have to book an appointment to come to the shop, but you definitely have to book an appointment to get your palm read.

19, Cecil Court
This is another of London’s institutions. You can buy books about all the spiritual masters here, books on mysticism, occult and alternative health. But the overall emphasis is on spitituality, particularly that of the East.
A few days years ago, they took on another shop next door which sells spiritual ephemera, so staues and prayer beads, cd’s and crystals and divnation cards.
It is also possible to have readings done here. There is a swami who sits in teh window here and gives readings and he’s very good. There are others here as well.
This has been here for a hundred years and is quite likley to be the oldest bookshop of its sort. You get the feeling that Madame Blavatsky might have been here, but then again I’m not sure how long ago that would have been. They have a website with the history of it described
. com
They sell second hand and antiquarian books