Dear Cory,
You did not do anything wrong nor did you cross any borders by asking me to tune in to Ryan. In the past I have been guilty of doing third party readings and I am not saying I will never do it again...
Reading for oneself, especially when we are so engrossed in our anxieties, is not so easy and we may 'see' things differently or things may be super imposed or amplified in our eyes. The Nine of Swords the way I see it, in your case, means you are blowing this all out of proportion and I am not surprised you are getting those weird dreams my dear friend. The Hierophant is trying to ground you, bring you back to the reality of things and, indeed, take your attention to other priorities such as your education and things of the mundane and of the daily routine. That is the way to get you grounded and rid you from your traumatic Nine of Swords influences, albeit that it is the reflection of all that is going on around you - your current marriage and your connection with Ryan and your general feeling of negativity.
You are doing the right thing now by distracting your own thought process by going into further education. An idle mind may take wings and fly to places; it should be tamed and brought back to earth to be occupied with the here and now - the message of the Hierophant. It is not a bad card; it is what you need right now.
Things will change. They do change, but spirit have got a funny way of putting us through these phases and experiences......
Things will be fine for you. Have faith.
Many blessings to you.