Book Review: Charm Casting

Title: Charm Casting: Divining with Trinkets, Trifles, Baubles, and Bits
Author:  Tina Hardt
Publisher:  Weiser Books
Publication Date:  November 3, 2025
Pages:  208 

Charm casting is an extremely individualized method of divination because the caster controls every aspect: the items, their definitions, the surface on which they are cast, and the meaning of how and where they fall when thrown. Author and professional caster Tina Hardt guides readers to assemble a casting kit, creating their own dynamic oracle using a collection of small, meaningful baubles, trinkets, items from nature, and assorted knickknackery.

She has “a dented tin filled to the brim with small and oddly compelling objects” she calls “Wee Ones.” 

“Sometimes,” she wrote, “you just have to throw stuff in the air and see, feel, and hear how it lands for you.”

That made me want to attend her charm school, so I accepted her invitation and followed her “down a rabbit hole and into the whimsical wonderland of charm casting.” I found it fascinating … and doable. Every step, every decision needing to be made, and every reason is clearly explained. It’s almost like being mentored.

Tina encourages readers to first determine all possible answers to all possible questions for all topics and then “mindfully work backwards” to choose charms to represent people, positions, emotions, events, beginnings, endings, resources, lessons, time, activities, spirits, ideas, and more. All together, they form the vocabulary needed for readings. 

The process from writing a personal prayer to giving a reading unfolds logically. The steps are easy to follow yet they require much consideration. There are checklists, exercises, tips, diagrams, creative activities, techniques, and an understanding of auxiliary topics such as astrology, numerology, and the elements that give novices a solid base. Information about creating sacred space, how to ask wise questions, ways to resolve issues, storage ideas, and accessories worth making are among the multitude of topics. The sample readings, a fast and easy way to assemble a starter kit, and the recommendations she makes based on her own trials and tribulations are insightful. The list of charms for a base kit is a treasure.

During the course of creating a charm kit, intuition, psychic abilities, and self-discovery will increase, Tina promises. I think one of the best features about charm casting is there’s nothing to research or memorize – it’s all about forming a relationship with each object, infusing it with meaning, and being able to receive clear messages.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in this form of divination, regardless of skill level. 

About the Author:
Tina Hardt is an author, diviner, and medium. She communes with the inanimate. She lives in a purple house in Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, together with Roger, her beloved enabler, who finds odd things in strange places. There are more than a thousand charms in her collection.

About the Reviewer:
As an eclectic solitary practitioner, I travel the country in a converted school bus and share magick with those I meet. Find me at https://thewitchonwheels.com/ and on Facebook.