The Tarot Mirror: A Tale of Two Modern Decks

 

The Discovery

I recently found myself owning two decks that felt like long-lost twins: the This Might Hurt Tarot by Isabella Rotman and the Urban Enigma Tarot by Craft Cards. I actually bought the Urban Enigma secondhand on eBay, not realizing at the time that I was holding a "copy-cat" of a deck I already loved. It wasn't until I sat down with them together that the realization hit: these aren't just two decks in the same genre—one is a direct blueprint for the other.

The Original: This Might Hurt Tarot

• The Creator: Isabella Rotman, an independent illustrator.

• The Vibe: Hand-drawn, queer-inclusive, and deeply personal. Many of the characters are portraits of Rotman’s real-life friends.

• The Innovation: Rotman modernized the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) imagery for the 21st century. She didn't just change the clothes; she changed the context.

  • The Knight of Wands became a cool figure on a motorcycle.

  • The 9 of Wands became an artist surrounded by giant pens instead of wooden staves.

The Shadow: Urban Enigma Tarot

• The Source: Published by mass-manufacturers (often listed as Craft Cards or Crafterian).

• The Controversy: This deck is widely considered a "clone" or "redrawn" version of Rotman’s work. While the art is digitally rendered and "cleaner," the compositions are nearly identical.

• The Differences: * Card Stock: As a collector who owns both, the difference is immediate. The original This Might Hurt usually has a more premium, artistic feel, while the Urban Enigma feels like a mass-market production.

  • The Soul: Because the original characters were based on real people, they have an expressive "weight" to them. The Urban Enigma characters feel more like "generic" digital avatars.

Spotting the "Copy-Cat" (Side-by-Side Comparison)

If you're wondering if your deck is an original or a clone, look for these "Rotman Signatures" that were mirrored in the Urban Enigma:

1. The Motorcycle Knight: Does your Knight of Wands have a coffee cup in hand and specific flame decals on their bike? That’s a Rotman original.

2. The Pen-Wands: Does the 9 of Wands feature a character guarded by giant writing utensils? That’s a specific creative choice from This Might Hurt.

3. Color Palette: Does the suit of Cups lean heavily into a very specific neon pink/purple palette? This was Rotman’s intentional color-coding system.

The Ethics of the "Clone Deck"

In the tarot world, this is a major talking point. Many well-meaning readers buy these decks on Amazon, Etsy, or eBay (as I did!) without knowing they are hurting an independent artist.

• The Cost of "Budget": These copies are often $15–$20 cheaper because the "creators" didn't have to spend years designing the concepts—they just traced someone else's.

• The Lesson: While my Urban Enigma will likely stay as my "beater deck" for outdoor readings, my heart belongs to the original.

The Bottom Line: If you love the modern, inclusive vibe of these cards, try to support the original creator. Isabella Rotman’s This Might Hurt Tarot is now available through major publishers like Liminal 11, making the real deal more accessible than ever.

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