This Might Hurt Tarot is a modern deck in the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, originally self-published in 2019, and published by Liminal 11 in 2023

Keeping time-honored symbolism and imagery, but losing the medieval context, this the This Might Hurt Tarot Deck is designed to be both easy to read and highly relatable. Clothing and scenery are modernized, diversity is embraced, and queerness is lovingly acknowledged.

The deck, like most tarot decks, consists of 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Liminal 11 versions of the deck contain a 19th bonus card This Might Hurt/This Might Heal. All of the court cards, and a few other select Minor Arcana cards, are portraits of real people in my life. It has been an absolute joy to create this deck in the image of our world, and I hope it is a joy for you to read with it as well.

This website to serves as a digital guidebook, with card descriptions for every card. The text on this website matches the guidebook from the Liminal 11 version.

The Story of This Might Hurt Tarot

This Might Hurt Tarot was originally published by the author in 2019 following a successful Kickstarter Campaign. The self-published deck came in a solid cardboard box with gold foil and magnetic closure, complete with a guidebook with an introduction, card descriptions, and a full-page black and white image of each card. There were a total of six print runs of the self-published edition of This Might Hurt.

Self-Published This Might Hurt Tarot

First Edition. Photos by Nyxturna

Image show This Might Hurt Tarot deck box, guidebook, and several cards laid out. First printing.

Image shows box on a white fur background. The deck has holographic pearl edges, which are silvery white with a rainbow running through them.

Image shows deck box open, with guidebook out beside it. On the inside of the top flap of the box is the flower from the flag in the death card. In the bottom of the inside of the box are a gold foil sun and moon, the text “This Might Hurt Tarot”, a

Image shows three cards surrounded by crystals add candles. The cards are the High Priestess, Temperance, and the Moon. First printing.

Image shows three cards surrounded by crystals and candles, with the guidebook being held open by hands beneath them. The guidebook is open to the card description for Temperance. First printing.

Image shows four cards surrounded by dried flowers add candles. The cards are the Star, Strength, the Two of Cups, and the Three of Cups. First printing.

Image shows four cards surrounded by dried flowers add candles, with hands pulling another card from a deck of card backs. Cards are The Lovers, the Queen of Wands, and 7 of Wands. First printing.

Image show This Might Hurt Tarot deck gilded gold edges, which are shining gold. First printing. Gold edges are no longer available.

Image shows box on a white fur background. The back of the box is visible. Second printing includes a bar code on the back of the box.

Print Runs

Print runs 1-6 are all considered part of the “first edition.” In the second and third print run the box is smaller, holographic pearl edges are available, and there is a bar code on the box. The third through sixth print runs are identical to the second print run except that the This Might Hurt Studios logo appears on the inside of the box and the box has a velvety soft paper texture. Due to the imperfect nature of offset printing, the saturation and color levels of the cards vary between print runs.

Liminal 11

In 2023 Liminal 11 published This Might Hurt Standard Edition, and This Might Hurt Special Limited Edition. The Liminal 11 version of the deck includes a detailed full-color guidebook containing new tarot spreads and a special forward from Melissa Cynova, a redesigned box, blue card backs, and a bonus card This Might Hurt/This Might Heal. This version is now being published by Sterling Ethos.

This Might Hurt Special Limited Edition

& This Might Help Oracle

The This Might Hurt Special Limited Edition includes an exclusive bonus oracle deck, This Might Help Oracle, featuring 34 cards with blue foiled fronts. This deck is a deeper exploration of the tarot symbolism that Isabella loves. Each card isolates and lovingly renders a single symbol (whether it be an object or animal) within the This Might Hurt Tarot. Each card’s meaning is derived from analyzing the symbol it depicts within the greater context of its original tarot card and how to interpret that symbol separately from its original context. The This Might Help Oracle consists of 34 cards: 22 for the Majors and 12 for the Minors.

This Might Hurt Special Limited Edition also includes

This Might Hurt Tarot deck, 79 cards with stunning iridescent foil gilding.
A stunning faux book-style box with a linen cover and holographic foil details.
An exclusive This Might Hurt Tarot Journal
A certificate of authenticity with a limited edition number hand-signed
This Might Hurt Tarot soft cotton illustrated scarf

The Artists

Isabella Rotman

Creator

Isabella Rotman is a cartoonist and illustrator from Maine. Her art is usually about the ocean, women, crushing loneliness, people in the woods, or sex. She is the author of A Quick and Easy Guide to Consent, illustrator and co-author of Wait, What?: A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up, and Artist in Residence at Scarleteen.com. Isabella started drawing This Might Hurt Tarot because she was learning how to read tarot cards for herself, and she learns by drawing. What started as a casual project where she would draw cards to learn their symbolism quickly turned into a full 78 -card deck that took three years to create. You can see Isabella’s other work at IsabellaRotman.com.

Addison Duke

Colorist

Addison is a Chicago-based colorist/illustrator for Dynamite and Image Comics. Addison's current works include Charlie's Angels/Bionic Woman, Barbarella/Dejah Thoris, and Curse Words. Follow Addison on Twitter at @AddisonDuke.

Credits

Self-Published Booklet copy-edited by Ramona Riecke, Dan Finnen, Shawn Morgenlander

Self-Published Booklet Designed by Andrew Misisco

Liminal 11 version Edited by Eleanor Tremeer

Liminal 11 Booklet and Box Designed by Fez Inkwright

Special Thanks from Isabella

To my colorist Addison Duke, who made each card so much more beautiful.

To Darren and Kay, for giving my deck a new home at Liminal.

To my editor Eleanor, and my original editors Shawn, Dan, and Ramona.

To Fez, for sharing her marvelous talent and giving this deck a truly glorious makeover.

To my incredibly helpful test readers: Luke, Kelsey, Laura, Jon, Katie, Turnip, and Elizabeth.

To my loved ones who so graciously allowed me to draw their portraits into this deck: Sacha, Selena, Darick, Jenalee, Marnie, Heather, Amara, Yusef, Laura, Beth, Andrew, Nell, my dad Tim, my mom Lauren, my grandfather Stanley, Chris and my grandfather Herb (I know you didn’t get a chance to see this, but I’m so glad you’re a part of it). Each and every one of you is an inspiration to me.

To Andrew, for putting the original self-published guidebook together.

To Dan and Sacha, for my Kickstarter video, back when this deck was just a dream in my head.

To Katie, Vanessa and Kelsey, for getting me into tarot in the first place.

And for your support: my parents, Essie, the wonderful people of Crit Club, the good folks at Tarot Party, and every single Kickstarter backer who made the original self-published edition of this deck possible.