What they mean together
Temperance follows Death in the tarot and softens the blow. The ending is lived with some serenity, and after the change comes a recovery that's slow but steady.
In love
Getting back on your feet after a breakup, or rebuilding the relationship at a slower pace. Things are falling into place.
Career and money
Settling into a new situation without stress. You'll find your rhythm.
An example
Suppose you've just left a city or a job and you ask how you'll adjust. Death and Temperance come out. The change was needed and you'll absorb it bit by bit. Don't expect to feel at home in two weeks. Temperance blends the old with the new until you find your balance. Look after your routines, your rest and the people who are good for you, and keep adjusting. If someone close offers practical help with a move or some paperwork, say yes.
By position in the spread
In the past
You went through a major ending with a fair amount of calm. You learned that you can put yourself back together.
In the present
You're rebuilding after a change. Go slowly and don't expect yourself to be at a hundred percent.
In the future
After the ending that's approaching, a few months of calm and recovery will follow. The transition will be gentler than you fear.
If they come up reversed
If Death is reversed, the ending stalls and it's hard to turn the page. If Temperance is the reversed one, you're in a rush to feel fine, or overdoing things to cover up how you feel. With both reversed, stop, let yourself grieve, and go back to simple habits. With this pair the ending is never abrupt. You can take it in.
Give yourself time. The wound heals at its own pace.
Frequently asked questions
Is Death and Temperance a good combination?
Yes, it's one of the gentlest ways to get Death. Temperance softens the change and points to a calm recovery.
Can Death and Temperance mean getting back together?
They can, if the relationship changes and gets rebuilt more slowly. It won't be a return to how things were, though. It'll be the start of something more balanced.
To read them separately, here is the meaning of Death and of Temperance. And if they came up in a three card spread, look at the position each one landed in too.