Another long-time marriage bites the dust.  Arnold Schwarzenneger and Maria Shriver call it quits.  Here's the article from AP

LOS ANGELES – Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver, announced Monday that they are separating.

The statement, issued by a spokesman for Schwarzenegger, said the two were working on the future of their relationship while living apart and would continue to parent their four children together.

"This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us," the two said in a prepared statement. "After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together."

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, finished his seven-year run as governor in January and has been travelling the speech circuit and pursuing various entertainment projects.

During Schwarzenegger's time as governor, Shriver and the couple's children never moved to Sacramento, preferring their secluded canyon estate in Los Angeles, a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.

Shriver, a member of the Kennedy political dynasty and the daughter of the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, left her job as an NBC reporter when Schwarzenegger took office. As the state's first lady, she ran an annual women's conference that attracted a long list of business, political and entertainment luminaries, along with an audience of thousands.

The separation announcement comes months after the death of Shriver's father, Peace Corps founder and former vice presidential candidate Sargent Shriver, in January.

Schwarzenegger's spokesman, Daniel Ketchell, said he wouldn't answer questions beyond what was said in Monday's statement.

@Maureen,

Just read this. She's a Scorpio and he's a Leo. Wonder what transits are hitting their couples chart?

Bummer.

I love her! Maybe she'll have a fresh start. She's young still, born in 55.

:)

Xenia, maybe Uranus at work?, plus just in general, as someone who's commitment phobic but utterly envious of long-term couples, it astonishes me to read of another couple who split after such a long time together, kids, successes, failures, the whole shebang...didn't Al and Tipper Gore split last year?  I remember wondering the same thing when that happened---is this about an old, stale pairing that doesn't work, or a need for freedom that outweighs the marriage vows?

Well, it could also be the sex scandals he had several years ago, and waiting until he got out of office to leave.

That's just what I was thinking.  There must have been problems going back a long time that were covered up until he left office.

Still sad to see a long marriage tanking, though.

I think she was struggling to keep him 10 + years ago. This seemed obvious seeing her interviewed back then and I remember feeling disturbed by it because I like her a lot more than I like him.

But really, I don't know either of them so I shouldn't say anything. Thing is, I was really affected by seeing her grasping and it's an impression that has never left me.

Okay, since I just started a thread yesterday on break-up transits, I'm DYING to know the transits for both in their natal charts.  Their ages, 25 years marriage, huh? Wonder how long they were together; total years.  This reminds me of something Elsa said about people getting out after 29 years.  Wonder who the culprit was....hheh....Uranus?  Saturn?  Pluto?  If she's an early born Scorpio, Uranus is Quincunx her sun ......

Thing is, I'm too damn lazy right now to find charts (hers, his, and wedding chart).....            Soooooooo curious. 

Frankly, I couldn't figure out why she married him.  But, I certainly understand why he married her.  Anyway, I'm not surprised that the marriage is over.

It would be interesting to look at the transits hitting their charts.

ASHE'

Her bday: 11-6-55. Don't know birthtime- too lazy to google.
Trans nept square n venus
Trans uranus trine n venus
trans pluto quincunx moon
trans uranus trine n uranus
Trans saturn applying conjunct to natal mars

Astrotheme says her btime is 5:12pm
her natal moon and uranus are in the 4th
Her natal venus is in the 7 th

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">as someone who's commitment phobic but utterly envious of long-term couples, it astonishes me to read of another couple who split after such a long time together

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">@ Maureen - you described me up there, I think! :)

as someone who's commitment phobic but utterly envious of long-term couples, it astonishes me to read of another couple who split after such a long time together

@Maureen, I think you described me up there! :)

Transiting Uranus to natal Venus often indicates that the person experiencing the transit requires more personal freedom and detachment, OR CONVERSELY it indicates that someone they are involved with and close to requires more personal freedom and detachment. I wonder which it is in this case?

Transiting Neptune squaring her natal Venus at the same time may indicate the dissolving of a personal relationship. When something finally dies in a Scorpio, it becomes very difficult to resurrect it (think Hilary-a Scorpio) and Bill (a Leo).

Disclaimer: All this is just speculation of course.

Ya know, I was reminded of bill and hilary as well.  I really think Hilary made the smart decision to stay.  I think she had more to gain from staying rather than leaving. 

I was surprised to see the trine between T Uranus, and N venus.  I was expecting to see a square.  But Pluto...an applying quincunx to her moon. 

They really did seem like the odd couple.

The political arena is a tough place to be and I understand one of the reasons she married Arnold is because he was an actor.  When he started his run for the Governorship of CA I noticed an obvious rift between them.  She grew up in it and hated it still does apparently.  

I am sorry for the both of them.  It may be the best thng in the long run but until they get to that point it is a mess and large amounts of money doesn't makes it worse.  It is just sad for everyone the adults and the children. 

For him: 7-30-1947

Trans Uranus trine N sun, square N moon.   (I knew there had to be a uranus square for one of them)   T. Pluto conjunct moon and retrograding over it.    T saturn conjunct neptune and retrograding over it. 

N neptune in the 4th.   N moon close to the descendant.

With Arnold coming out last night and admitting that he told Maria after leaving office that he had a child with a staff member over 10 years ago, it's pretty obvious that this was the straw that broke the camel's back for Maria.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43057177/ns/us_news-life/

Damn.  How low.  Time for Maria to spread her wings.

Best to them both

I feel bad for Maria. Really pathetic behaviour on the part of Arnie.  Could this really have not been known about for 10 years?

I think 10 years ago w/his political career and 4 small children at home they both thought it was better to stay together. Lot's of couples do this for the sake of finances, children, family and societal disapproval.The lucky thing for Maria is that she is wealthy enough to leave w/ her finances intact. Divorce is very expensive. He'll probably give her everything she wants as he should and with the Kennedy machine behind her he's pretty much finished. Plus didn't her father pass away fairly recently? So maybe not so much catholic shame to deal with. I can't believe that this domestic employee was working for them for the last 10 years after the baby was born. Like I guess they had enough vast holdings to farm her out somewhere to polish the silver.I think Maria is going to flourish and the saddest prt is Arnold should have been a man about it and just be honest with her years ago, maybe he was who knows? Just look the part with the perfect marraige. Until of course it crumbles. Whats w/all the sex scandals? The IMF guy, Julian Assange, Arnie, hey the list is endless...

Looks like Arnold kept this quiet while staying in office, which is typical, and came out with it after leaving office.  Politics in America, hell, everywhere!

This is crazy.  She continued to work for him long after the child was born?  Did they keep up the affair?  Wow.

He is the Terminator remember that! Man I could be very quiet for the right amount of cash....She probably threatened to go to the press years ago and they paid her. I also think that after the John Edwards affair, now there is a template of how you handle this sort of thing.Or how not to handle it. And that was a whole lot shall we say, more odoriferous? This looks pretty civilized compared to his affair. Why can't these people use birth control? I'm thinking one party wants to purposely get pregnant. And then woe to the person who has a big price to pay.

I think everyone saw this coming. I think the glamour, the name, and her kids made her stick around so long.

Just read about the baby. Can't believe it!

I just *saw* Maria Shriver on TV.

She said that 10 years her husband had a child with another woman.

That is why a divorce will be imminet!

Neptune?

I can't help but wonder what made him own up after all these years. It's possible, but I doubt his conscience was involved. Since she worked for them for 20 years, I can only imagine that she was close to them. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that as the child grew, the resemblance became too obvious to deny.

In my opinon this could be called: The Nanny Effect.

Stacey, probably the National Enquirer or some other rag was about to break the story so he headed them off with the announcement. Maria is no idiot but she is a Kennedy and Kennedy women have a history of turning a blind eye to these kinds of husband hijinks. The whole having a kid thing and carrying on for 10 years though, not so much. She was probably waiting until he was out of office.  The real ass-chapper: when the other woman left her job with them, she took serverance!

Feel so bad for all the kids though, you certainly can't pick your parents!

Here's hoping saturn in scorpio helps her rebuild...and build....and build. She's gonna come out of this the stronger.....

I look forward to who she'll be in the next few years. God knows the pain is immense right now.

This is just terrible. After decades of marriage?! Oh my goodness. What can't a man get or have at home that he'll have to actively (and repeatedly, it now seems) seek it outside of the home?

Or is just an issue of instant gratification?

This just added skeletons to the Leo male's closet.

Capricorn is quite a karmic sign, and Saturn is quite a karmic planet, and Transiting Saturn going through Libra indicates a certain amount of karma (good or difficult) around relationships for many. On top of that, Saturn is transiting over Arnie's Neptune in Libra indicating 'reality' time around his relationship deceptions, and also with transiting Saturn on his Neptune, 'the illusion is over'. And with powerful T Pluto on his Moon (in karmic Capricorn), his emotional world (wife, children, domestic life) is being turned upside down, and I don't think Pluto is finished with him yet. It is also interesting to note that Maria is a Scorpio (a sign ruled by Pluto).

Reports are that they are in counseling. Do you think they will be together...or not, when Saturn leaves Libra?

This marriage was on the rocks for a while. Saturn just helped them along to cutting the life support and ending it, I think.

Being a Non-American, Ahnold doesn't realize that you don't ever, ever f*ck with American Royalty!

He's a scion of Austri-Hungary royalty, right?

The Kennedys are the closest thing we have to a royal family, and Maria being a Kennedy (her grandmother is John F Kennedy's younger sister), you definitely do NOT mess with someone like her!

This is definitely more skeleton to add to the poor Leo Man's closet, as if they didn't already have enough troubles as it is

Okay, well I'll answer my own question. I'm betting they'll be together.

Honestly I hope not. I  know it's a bad thing to say, but I think Maria can do much better than being with a man who impregnated another woman during their marriage. And I think it would be good for the kids (especially if they have girls, Idk) to see that their mother doesn't put up with crap and neither should they.I think it tells an important message, people who have their own sex drive above the need to preserve their families shouldn't get away with it.

How do you rebuild trust after a shocker like this?? She's a Scorpio she has to be able to trust. If they're going to the counsellor, I'm assuming it's because of the kids again?

I vote no. He publically embarrassed the shit out of her and he's out of public office now and their kids (I think) are grown. There's no reason to stay together or for her to put up with it any more.

I'm w/ Elsa Maria has tolerated Arnold's bad behavior for years she isn't leaving him.