This Might Hurt Tarot Deck (Modern Tarot Library)

Product Information

If the Queen of Cups is someone in your life, you will get a psychic vibe from them instantly. I drew the Queen of Cups as my mom, because she is the kind of person who intuits things about you that you haven’t even figured out about yourself. She is rich in love, smarts, and creativity, and she has probably already figured out how you are feeling about any given thing. This is a card for new jobs, new homes, money coming your way, or a new relationship with your body. It is not a promise that any of these things will work out perfectly for you, but it is an open door. Beneath the godlike hand is a verdant gate. A beautiful garden lies beyond, lush with fruit. Will you go inside? What seeds will you plant there? Whatever you have been working for in your emotional life—your relationships, your hobbies, your home—it’s all here, and it’s beautiful. The Nine and Ten of Cups are both about happiness, but I see the Nine as being about internal happiness. I drew the man in this card as a potter because he is creating his own joy. He carries his optimism inside him. He is aware of his blessings. My goal at the beginning of my career was to make a living making art that I’m proud of (…) I’m incredibly grateful to say I’ve made it there!” The Queen of Swords is one badass bitch. She’s ready to cut through all the bullshit the world throws at her. Her decisions are based on logic. She takes emotional factors into account, but doesn’t deem them the most important part of the equation. This Queen brings truthfulness, clarity, self-awareness, and clear skies.

If the King of Swords looks a little judgmental, that’s because he is. This King is skilled at cutting to the truth of a situation. While he is stern, he is also deeply ethical and trustworthy. Were he a politician, his strong moral code would make him impervious to corruption. Make Space: Take a moment to breathe and relax. If you are doing a reading for yourself, reflect on your motives. If you are doing a reading for someone else, use this time to connect to that person. Some people have rituals that go along with this, such as lighting a candle or laying down a tarot cloth. The key here is balance. I drew myself into this card because I feel like I’m always juggling about a million projects in addition to my social life, relationships, errands, chores, and keeping my cat fat and happy. You absolutely need to balance these disparate elements or else the pentacles will fall to the ground and your juggling act will fall apart. Instead, she remains in a dreamy state of indecision. If she chooses to pursue one of these options, is she leaving the others behind? Are all of these choices even real options? How will she choose?

More magic this way...

Staying creative is not a massive problem for me. I have more ideas than time. The problem really is time. There always needs to be more time to do everything you want to do. My favorite way to read tarot is a simple three-card spread. Pull three cards in a line, as below, and interpret them according to the meaning you have chosen to associate with each position. I find with the following spreads it’s best not to ask a question, but to let the cards tell you what the reading is going to be about. This is a card about abandonment. It is a card of emotional exhaustion, burnout, and the discovery that something you worked hard for doesn’t bring you fulfillment. Your emotional situation is not working for you. It is not fixable. This Might Hurt Tarot is immediately accessible for those starting on their tarot journey and is the perfect addition to any rebellious witch’s collection. Now re-imagined into this stunning special edition with the unique Liminal 11 touch!

Many of the cards are lovingly crafted from portraits of real people in your life. Are there any cards that have special significance to you? Here, you finally get the bounty you have worked for. You have attained the glories of stability, material comfort, leisure time, and a big ol’ garden. You have made this happen through your choices, self-discipline, and risks that were ultimately successful. Worries about finances no longer take up valuable space in your brain. You can make choices more freely, not driven entirely by material needs.Look at this happy dude and all his cups! He made these cups, he loves them, and now he is going to bask in their glory and enjoy them. I often wonder which comes first: happiness or gratitude. Are you grateful because you are happy, or are you happy because you are grateful? Of course it’s not that simple, but you get my point. The man in the Nine of Cups is both. This is a card you really, really hope comes true. This is a common spread which gives you a snapshot of a timeline of events. Let the past and present cards inform the context of the reading. The future card shows the potential outcome if you continue on your current path. It is important to ask yourself how you feel about this outcome, and if your path should be adjusted. I chose to draw someone hard at work, after many hours. The chewed pens—our wands—symbolize creative energy. It’s what keeps us going. As a self-employed artist, I connect with this character deeply. In working this hard, he has neglected other aspects of his life, which might include sufficient sleep, a social life, or moments of leisure. Congratulations, you’re a winner! The Six of Wands depicts a victory parade, complete with laurel crown and victory wreath. This card represents public recognition of triumph, or reaching a major creative milestone. Not only have you succeeded, people know it. Meanwhile, the Emperor, the father archetype, is ruled by logic. He is not afraid of conflict or taking a leadership role. He is hard, unemotional, and rational. He represents society in contrast to nature. The Magician, also a male archetype, channels what is abstract into the material world. He is a card of action, cultivating ‘magic’ in a direct path, in contrast to the High Priestess’s quiet magic of wisdom.

A woman is blindfolded and bound, caged by eight swords. She appears completely trapped by her restraints, but upon closer inspection we see that this metaphorical trap is not inescapable. There is so much she could still do, even with limited sight and movement. I actually based the ropes and the way they are tied on shibari rope bondage, the modern ethical practice of which always leaves the person who is being tied in control. You think you are out of options, but you aren’t.

Together with Isabella, using our distinct Liminal 11 touch, we have re-imagined This Might Hurt Tarot into a stunning Special Edition, which you can find here, and a standard edition which you can find here. Cheers to you and yours! This is a pure and powerful love card for you and your friends. These women dance, they toast each other, they celebrate. Your close friendships are precious. If this card comes up for you in a reading, it is time to be with your squad.

You’re juggling a lot right now, aren’t you? You’ve got multiple balls in the air, but you haven’t dropped them yet. The Two of Pentacles suggests that there’s more than enough going on in your life, but you are keeping it together, and maybe even enjoying the multitasking rush of it all. All the court cards are real people in my life, and a few other cards. I had a really great time doing these portraits. For each portrait, I selected a person to draw who I felt their personality embodied the best aspects of the archetype. It was beautiful to think of my friends and family this way. At its best, the Ace of Swords appears when you know you are right. Sometimes this comes as an innate flash of knowledge. Sometimes it comes through research. Notice the dark clouds that surround the sword without obstructing it. Assumptions and emotion do not factor in. This is a card for setting aside how you feel about an issue in favor of objectively recognizing what is actually happening. This isn’t intuition; it’s knowledge.Sevens are about reflecting upon your situation. The person in this card has paused working to consider his garden’s progress. Your garden is a thought-out investment that is intended to sustain you in the long term. It’s time to observe what you have built so far and ask yourself if you are still on the right path.