What they mean together
The Wheel turns and Death closes the door. A big change is coming that isn't fully up to you: circumstances end one chapter and another begins. Fighting it only makes it heavier.
In love
A turn of events that closes one phase of the relationship or changes it completely.
Career and money
Outside changes that close one door and open another. Adapt quickly.
An example
Suppose you ask about the future of your company and the Wheel of Fortune and Death show up. The changes come from outside. A restructuring, a sale or a shift in the market ends the way things used to work. You can't stop it, but you can get ready. Update your resume, keep in touch with your contacts, and see what openings the new situation brings. People who adapt early usually come out ahead.
By position in the spread
In the past
Something ended because of circumstances, not because you chose it. That ending pushed you into a new chapter you're still building.
In the present
The wheel is turning right now. Something is ending around you, so watch which door opens.
In the future
A change of cycle is on its way. If you start letting go of what isn't working now, the shift will feel lighter.
If they come up reversed
If the Wheel is reversed, the change gets delayed or feels like plain bad luck, and it's hard to see anything good in it. If Death is the reversed one, you're resisting the ending and it drags on longer than it needs to. With both reversed, accept that the chapter is over even if you're still holding it up.
Let the wheel turn and find your place in what's new.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Wheel of Fortune and Death a bad sign?
They announce a big change, and that can be scary. But in tarot Death means change, not tragedy, and the Wheel reminds you that everything keeps turning.
Does the Wheel of Fortune and Death combination mean physical death?
No. In traditional tarot Death is the end of a chapter, and here that ending is pushed along by circumstances.
To read them separately, here is the meaning of Wheel of Fortune and of Death. And if they came up in a three card spread, look at the position each one landed in too.