Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 22:28:05 +0000 From: Feorag NiBride A walk around some esoteric shops in London This walk is a circular stroll taking in some of the more interesting shops to be found in London. Most of the shops are bookshops, some specialising in occult materials, others simply stocking a good range of esoterica. How long it takes depends on how much of a bookshop addict you are -- it could be done in a couple of hours, but it wouldn't be much fun. Starting at Tottenham Court Road tube station, take the exit which comes out on the north side of New Oxford Street and the east of Tottenham Court Road. Walk along New Oxford Street until you come to the traffic lights. Cross over Bloomsbury Street before turning left into it. A few yards along, at the junction with Streatham Street is Unsworth, Rice and Coe. This bookshop specialises in history and the humanities and has an unusual selection of occult material under the religious books. Turn into Streatham Street and turn right then left around Pizza Express. Take the next right into Museum Street, you will be almost opposite Atlantis Books -- a specialist in new and secondhand occult material. As well as books across the whole spectrum of esoterica, they also sell a range of Pagan magazines and newsletters. Turn left outside Atlantis and take the next left into Bloomsbury Way. Cross over the road as soon as is feasible -- on the right-hand side of the road is a Tibetan shop, which I have yet to visit. Further along, just beyond Southampton Place is the spectacular Sicilian Avenue. Turn into here and a few shops on the right is Skoob Two -- a mostly secondhand bookshop whish also publishes some of the more unusual occult material. Upon leaving, turn right and then right again into Southampton Row. Cross over High Holborn at the traffic lights and continue down Kingsway. Take the ssecond right into Great Queen Street. There are a couple of Masonic suppliers on the right, and a huge 1930s edifice on the left -- this is the Grand Lodge, HQ of English Freemasons. Note the interesting symbolism on the building. Continue until you reach Endell Street and turn right. Take the next right into Shelton Street, past the London Ecology Centre on the right. The next right brings you into Neal Street and the left after that enters Shorts gardens. There is a small passage on the right just past Neals Yard Wholefoods which leads into Neals Yard itself. Here you will find New World Aurora, purveyors of all things twinkly and New Age music; Neals Yard Apothecary, who stock every herb and oil you could possibly want, and then some; and various healing places, self-devoelopment centres and the like. Leave Neals Yard by the passage opposite the one you came in by. Turn right and you will find yourself at Mysteries -- a _huge_ occult and New Age shop selling books, cards, jewellery, oils, incense, periodicals etc. On leaving, turn left and continue along Monmouth Street until you come to a junction with a boarded up monument in the middle. Going widdershins, turn into the second right, Earlham Street. There should be a couple of market stalls here. A few yards on the left is the Dover Bookshop, who publish cheap, out-of-copyright books. their range includes translations of books such as the _Malleus Maleficarum_, folklore and mythology and books of old woodcuts and illustrations, including special volumes of mythological creatures and witchcraft images. Turn right out of the shop and go back to the junction. Take the first right and continue down Monmouth Street, Upper St. Martins Lane and St Martins Lane. Eventually you will come to Cecil Court on the right. About half-way along on the left is Watkins, a specialist occult bookshop. The ground floor has new books and an impressive range of tarot cards; the basement contains a fascinating selection of secondhand and antiquarian books. Continue along Cecil Court and turn right into Charing Cross Road. About 100m past Leicester Square tube station on the right is Silver Moon -- a women's bookshop. They have a wide range of women's spirituality and Goddess-relkated opublications in the basement. Some of the other shops on this row are also worth a browse. Continuing northwards along Charing Cross Road, you come to a number of huge bookshops. Books etc has an occult section in the basement; Waterstones have theirs on the first floor; the best is Foyles, but their occult material is on the third floor tucked away in a small room behind the religious books. They also have a system where you hand your book to a member of staff in the department who gives you a bill. You take this to a pay desk and pay there before retrieving your books. Turning left out of Waterstones or Foyles, and right out of Books etc, brings you back to Tottenham Court Road station. There is a variation to this walk which involves starting at Dillons Bookstore on Gower Street, which is a continuation of Bloomsbury Street. The shop has new occult books on the top floor and a few secondhand books on the floor below. It can be found on the corner of Gower Street, Torrington Place and Malet Street, and the nearest tube is Goodge Street. From here you would walk southwards along Gower Street to reach Unsworth, Rice and Coe.