For us crow and magpie types who adore our trinkets and the little bits of weird that always seem to find their way into our pockets, Tina Hardt’s Charm Casting is a terrific book.
Hardt writes in a friendly voice, so reading it feels like having tea and chat, while also being really informative and providing guidance and direction for folks who are maybe just getting started with their collection of charms and wondering how to use them.
The book begins with a clear directive: this is not meant to be an academic book, but rather a “[P]aean to our forebearers.” That being said, you’ll learn a lot about acquiring and casting trinkets, along with Hardt’s playful sense of fun to feel free to experiment a little, find what feels right for you as the caster. There are places in the book to directly record and take notes of things as you go through it, as well as sections labelled “Scribble” to offer further advice and ideas to take into consideration as you collect pieces and learn to divine from your castings.
One of the things I especially liked was the very practical advice, and that there is no great outlay of expenses — that trinkets are things that can be found in many places, and the reader needn’t spend much, if anything, on acquiring them. Keep an eye out even in your own home – the junk drawer, the old sewing kit, discarded bits from an old playset the kids never play with anymore, that charm that fell off an old bracelet… And then there are little things that simply show up in the street, left behind, simply waiting to be picked up. As any good charm caster would, Hardt also recommends befriending the local corvids: some regularly offered peanuts might compel a crow to offer a finding as thanks (bird-gotten trinkets? yes please!).
Hardt also covers all things you, as a caster, might expect or need to troubleshoot while casting. There is a lot of very helpful guidance offered, but always in the friendly manner of someone who’s been there and would genuinely like you to feel confident and successful.
I have already recommended this book to someone who has got into trinket casting and will certainly be recommending it to others – it’s a wonderful and informative read, and would be an asset to anyone who wishes to begin divining with trinkts.
~review by Mara McTavish
Author: Tina Hardt
Red Wheel/ Weiser, 2025
Pp.: 191, $16.95 (USD)
