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Londoners were once stereotyped as boozy and cynical. Not any more. Turns out mindfulness apps were a spirituality gateway drug. Tamara Driessen – also known as ‘Wolf Sister’, healer and author of ‘The Crystal Code’ – explains why she thinks things like moon rituals, crystal healing and astral projection gained mainstream popularity in 2018.
Why was 2018 the year London got into gong baths and crystal healing?
‘Most people come to me because they’ve burnt themselves out at work. And everyone has so much to do at the moment. You’ve got your phone going off all the time and you think: I’ll just reply to one more email. We’re tired and need a break but we haven’t been allowing ourselves to have that time off. All of these spiritual practices are guiding us to slow down.’
How have attitudes changed?
‘People are opening up. In my twenties I lived with anxiety and depression for a long time. Similar to myself, people are realising that buying that outfit or having that big night out isn’t going to help.’
So it’s a reaction to anxiety?
‘People are getting more aware of their energy and what they’re carrying. They might not want to go to talk therapy, they might just want somewhere where they can just be and have someone else help them relax and let go. With crystal healing, reiki and tarot, I teach my clients to tap into their intuition and discover that they inherently know what is right for them. It’s about asking: where are you at now? What energies are affecting you? Where are you tripping yourself up?’
Check out our guide to feeling calm in the capital, plus 37 ways to feel good in London.
Read our full list of ways London changed in 2018