Arnold Schwarzenegger and Al Gore have something in common astrologically – moon in Capricorn. Moon in Capricorn is considered a difficult placement because the moon is about reaction and emotions and Capricorn is about control and restraint. Consequently, moon in Capricorn folks are often perceived as cold, standoffish or withdrawn.

Moon in Capricorn are the people around you who keep calm in difficult situations. They make the funeral arrangements, clean up the crime scene, talk people off building ledges and lead troops into battle. Moon in Capricorn can do this because it doesn’t react. It controls its emotions.

Remember the comment about Gore being “wooden?” That’s moon in Capricorn.

Schwarzenegger and Gore are both sun fire signs, Schwarzenegger is Leo and Gore is Aries. Fire is expressive, extraverted and enthusiastic. Fire dominates.

Fire sun and moon in Capricorn suggest that both Schwarzenegger and Gore are dominant individuals. Even if they weren’t actors and politicians, they would be in control in some way. They are alpha males.

Using Astrotheme’s time of birth for both men, both have moon in about 3 degrees of Capricorn in the 6^th house (Gore’s just barely) which is the house of work and health.

I see the moon in Capricorn in the 6^th house as being the quintessential workaholic. Seeing this in Schwarzenegger’s chart, I realized that when we go to the gym we call it a “work” out, not an “exercise moment” or “fun on the treadmill.” It’s work. When we go on a bike ride, we don’t call it “work.” When we go to the gym, it’s work.

Schwarzenegger’s workaholic nature has translated into the body and health, both 6^th house concerns. I’m guessing that Schwarzenegger doesn’t really get pleasure at the gym. I’m guessing it’s all work and no play. It’s serious and intense.

Gore’s workaholic nature isn’t as evident, to me at least. But being a politician seems like a heck of a lot of work to me, so I can’t tell a workaholic politician from a non-workaholic politician.

The big news for both of these men is that Pluto is transiting Capricorn. Pluto, right this moment, is sitting on top of their moons.

In addition to describing emotional temperament, the moon also describes the women in one’s life and one’s relationships with women. Both Schwarzenegger and Gore probably had mothers who were less than maternal and most likely stressed social standing than more than personal expression. Their wives may have been the same.

According to Robert Hand in “Planets in Transit,” Pluto transiting moon “signifies a time of extremely powerful emotional change in your life, which can affect your immediate personal surroundings, your home and family, and your innermost psychological development.”

Sounds right as both men are splitting with long-time partners.

Hand adds that this transit “can transform all your emotionally based relationships, such as those with your spouse, family and parents, particularly your mother.”

While we are publicly seeing the divorces, what we are probably not seeing is that for both men, a number of relationships are probably changing with regard to emotional tone. Both men are probably dealing with a lot of emotional feedback from a number of people.

Because both men have moon in the 6^th house, both may undergo transformational health changes. Capricorn rules the knees and skeletal structure so both may have problems with knees or spine. Back problems may also be part of this.

Moon in Capricorn folks don’t like to air dirty laundry so public breakups or anything else messy that occurs in public is highly embarrassing. Capricorn also likes to be perfect (and thinks it is, by the way) so anything that goes “wrong” is unpleasant. And moon in Capricorn is as judgmental of itself and it is of others so these men may be beating themselves up emotionally. They are probably more harsh on themselves than others are on them.

There is a lot more to these two charts than moon in Capricorn. The Pluto transit over their moons suggests that this is where the transform begins – emotionally and with women. This is not an easy transit but as moon in Capricorn is serious and used to hard work, both should be able to handle it. Capricorn is nothing if not tough.