A friend in need

Today I decided to draw just one card, asking, "What do I need to be aware of today?"8 of Swords
This doesn't represent me, but someone very close to me. It came up in a reading I did last week (with a different deck) in the spread position representing him. I think there's a variety of reasons he's feeling this way right now, one of them being that he was recently turned down for a promotion. He aspires to great things and knows where he wants to be (the castle above), but feels trapped and maybe unable to see the path to get there.
Sometimes when I'm working with the cards a quote or phrase will pop into my head, and then it just sticks as the meaning. The reading I did last week was with the Victorian Romantic Tarot, and the phrase that popped was, "My hands are tied." As in, "I wish I could do something about it, but my hands are tied." Here the blindfold and most of the restraints have been removed.
To take it even further, I brought out the Anna.K Tarot for comparison. That card illustrates that the restriction is purely mental and self-imposed.
Of the three, the situation in the Hanson-Roberts is the most hopeless. Not only is the bondage the most severe, but the figure is unable to see the way out of it. I have a couple of different takes on the castle. Like my friend's situation, it could be goals that seem out of reach. The distance from the castle to the water below shows that emotions may need to be shut off in order to achieve them. In another sense, I imagine the castle represents some sort of authority: the law, church, parents, etc. whose oversight prevents someone from having the freedom they would choose.
I take this as a sign that I should reach out to my friend as he may not be able to reach out to me.

It's the economy stupid

I saw this spread on firefrost's blog and decided to give it a try. *cards pulled on 2/1*

What have I done well?
3 of Swords
What do I leave behind?
7 of Cups
What do I take with me?
5 of Pentacles

I think I have done a good job of identifying habits that are unhealthy (and therefore cause sorrow/pain) and a result I will be leaving behind indulgence in fantasies (delusions?) that produce little result. Now about that 5 of Pentacles. I have been getting that card a LOT lately. I just checked--4 times in my last 13 three-card readings. It doesn't paint a very rosy picture. However...I have decided to stop taking it personally. I think this card represents the poor state of the economy as a whole and I just need to get used to the fact that it's going to stay that way for a while, particularly since I work in banking.

On that note, I decided to shuffle again and draw 2 new cards (keeping that miserable 5 out!) *cards pulled on 2/4*
Why do I keep getting this card? 10 of Cups - As a reminder to count my blessings. For the most part I have not been personally affected by the downturn, and more importantly, I have people that love and care about me. I honestly see that in the 5 of Pents too. I can hear those people saying, "No matter what, we still have each other."
What, if anything, can I do about it? X Wheel of Fortune - Confirmation that this is pretty much beyond my control. I really can't do anything to change it, so I have to just roll with it. I can't think of any other card that would be as convincing. Thank you tarot, you amaze me once again.