help required reading a spread

I did a spread for my sister today, and it really threw me. Is there anyone who could please offer some assistance? My sister yesterday celebrated her 35th bday and today celebrated the release of a documentary which she has been slaving over for years. It premiered on the radio this afternoon. She is single and childless and would definitely love to make it in both areas ie - career and family

Spread 7 card infinity.
Position 1: Querant vis-a-vis the problem
Eight of Swords. (frustration, powerlessness, damned if you do - damned if you don't) NB my sister totally disagreed with this interpretation especially because today was a day of celebration after much work and hardship.
Position 2: Present Influences
9 Cups. (*sigh* the wish card)
Position 3: Future Influences
The World. Yes true to its meaning (apart from the position in the spread which indicates the cycle is not yet completed) she has completed a cycle which has brought much satisfaction. Something enormous has finished, something she can be proud of.
Position 4: attitudes to adopt
6 of pentacles. indicates that there will be success and from that she will be able to give in charitable acts. I also suggested that in order to right the scales (She is very poor as she has spent years financing this doco) she should give to someone even worse off. Is this wrong??
Position 5: Other people
The Hanged Man. This is the first spot I really stumbled (although some of you may disagree that I had it way wrong in previous cards..) but this position 'other people?' Hmmm I know she desperately wants a partner who lives up to her expectations and a family so what here? In order to meet someone she needs to let go, to sacrifice this hope so that it will occur??
Poition 6: To avoid doing
Death - reversed. I interpreted death reversed in this position as that she needs to not resist change. If she holds still there can be stagnation in the personal sense and that she therefore needs to look forward to the next opportunity
Position 7: The anwer
10 Swords reversed. This is where I well and truely came unstuck. I am not the most experienced reader and to be honest when I got to this card I did not read it, I merely summed up the above and said thats it. My intepretation of 10 swords reversed is that this ill-dignified card is worse than the dignified version. Can indicate a death (although I would never tell a Querant this). Worsening conditions, bad bad bad stuff.
Now my sister has struggled through such a hard decade she has done so well to do what she did today and I thought until this point the spread was quite positive (especially the 9 cups!). But for this card to come as the answer in a spread threw me totally.
Is there a more experienced reader who can help here? Please?

Hi FreeFlight and welcome ~

Could you map out the spread for us? That would make things a little easier.
Like so:

........1.........

2...............3

Thanks ~

Is your sister a Gemini?

Position 1: Querant vis-a-vis the problem
8 of Swords

Position 2: Present Influences
9 of Cups

Position 3: Future Influences
XXI The World

Position 4: Attitudes to adopt
6 of Pentacles

Position 5: Other people
XII The Hanged Man

Position 6: To avoid doing
XIII Death (Rx)

Position 7: The answer
10 of Swords (Rx)

She may have, or will receive, an offer to further foster her career. After carefully considering it, she is most likely to take it. This may be at the expense of a family life that she does not have yet, but not accepting it will not bring her the parnter or family either. Go with the flow, that is what I read, and the things of tomorrow shall take care of temselves.

Fulgour said:

Position 1: Querant vis-a-vis the problem
8 of Swords

Position 2: Present Influences
9 of Cups

Position 3: Future Influences
XXI The World

Position 4: Attitudes to adopt
6 of Pentacles

Position 5: Other people
XII The Hanged Man

Position 6: To avoid doing
XIII Death (Rx)

Position 7: The answer
10 of Swords (Rx)

Click to expand...

"Very good" Never Mind (I'm passing)

Free Flight said:

Hi All.
She is an acquarius.
spread is as follows

.......1................6
2.............7..............5
.......3................4

Click to expand...

I guess I'll let Moongold take over. I got a different
sort of feeling, but I can see I'm off the track here.

Free Flight -

Your interpretation of The 10 of Swords reversed is way off! A reversed 10 of Swords is a great sign - it means the total defeat of all negative influences. It means achieving success in a dramatic way. This is how I see the last three cards of your reading:

5. People - The Hanged Man. Your sister is looking for a soulmate. She is on a spiritual quest to find love with the perfect man, but there is no such thing as a perfect man. If she sets her standards too high, her dream of having a husband and family will be slow in coming. She'll be left dangling in limbo like the Hanged Man.

6. What to Avoid - Death Reversed. Your sister must avoid resisting change. She must go with the flow and trust her heart. She must not be afraid to take the proverbial bull by the horns and make positive things happen for herself.

7. The Answer - The 10 of Swords Reversed. If your sister takes the advice the cards have given her, she will find success in a dramatic way. All the negative influences that have been holding her back or troubling her will be totally defeated. Her dreams will come true!

This is a very positive reading. You and your sister have nothing to worry about.

The Hanged Man and Death Reversed are powerful complementary cards in this reading. They're telling your sister, "Don't just sit there - go for it girl, and let your heart be your guide!"

One last thing: I also disagree with your interpretation of the Eight of Swords, which represents your sister's feelings at present. The Eight of Swords, in this case, means hidden fears, not frustration or powerlessness. It means that even though your sister's documentary was a success, she's harboring secret fears that something could still go wrong, that her success is too good to be true. Her fears are unfounded, but they have caused her anxiety.

- Eric

Firstly a big thank-you to Moongold, Fulgour, Never_Mind and EricTheHermit for your assistance . It is muchly appreciated
Secondly *breathing out a prolonged sigh of frustration*
I am admittedly very new to this art (I only got my first set of cards last Chrissie) but I am so frustrated. I am throwing everything i have behind them. I have learnt the meanings of all the cards, I have used intuition to add to these meanings in my journal. I draw my daily card and ponder it through the course of each day. Lately I have been drawing a spread of three so that I can learn to read as a story as I am getting stuck in spreads and feel I read single cards rather than anything as a whole. But I feel like I am not making any progress at all. I just cannot get a whole picture here.

I want to be good, I want to better, I am trying so hard but when I come here I feel in awe of you all as you have it and I dont seem to. I feel like I dont have what it takes but for the moment I will continue to perservere. First step is not not read reversed cards until I am better at it.

Another question though as I would like to continue to understand reversals as one day I do hope to read with these. EricTheHermit has illustrated that my set of definitions of reversed cards is way wrong. I understand that sometimes reversals are opposites and sometimes they indicate blockages but sometimes they have their own meaning. I know you are meant to use intuition to know the difference but where is my intuition??
Any recommendations of some literature/sites that I can get my hands on reversals and definitions?
thanks to all again
FF

Dear FreeFlight ~

Welcome to a fellow Aussie!

I intended to get back to you last night but didn't and I am at work now so can't say much.

Please don't be despondent. You've only had your cards since Christmas! Just relax and play with them as you have been. Even just to have a few goes at readings for practice would be good. Confidence helps and you get that by practising. Perhaps we should start a new "Seekers" section?

The Seekers groups are just small groups of people new to Tarot that various wonderful people run from time to time just to get people off the ground. One of those groups was the way I got started in 2002. We will follow that up with others and see what can be done to get another one going.

Everyone begins somewhere and you are in the right place. When I get home tonight I'd like to have another look at your throw but I haven't yet read the other contributions yet!

All the best, and stay around. What is the weather like up your way? We are having beautiful times now after some quite bizarre storms.

Moongold

Hi Moongold,

if you could look at the spread I would appreciative. Any feedback I can use to see what I am doing wrong and see how to improve..although I do believe it is a question or my intuition being out, rather than anything else.

Thanks for your words of support. If any such forum does open up I would be in it for sure.
It is getting colder down here in the mornings but still swimable during the days : )
thanks
FF

I think the position one may mean her current circumstances were hard and restricting, meaning she did the most she could do and her situation was that it was somewhat out of her hands. I personally think the 10sR is better-the situation is over and lightening.maybe thats what threw you-however you are meant to see your cards, and my interpretations are not yours. Same with the 10wR-things getting better, loads lessening-in her situation mentally.

Ill see if i can give more input later.