As the world knows by know, Tiger Woods was in a car accident in the wee hours of Sunday morning.  As he was driving away from his home in Florida he backed into a fire hydrant and hit a tree.  He was found with lacerations on his face that evidently occurred from an altercation with his wife as the result of revelations of an affair that Woods had with a nightclub hostess and possible others.

Regardless of what happens in Woods’s personal life, his public image has taken a big hit.  

I won’t take the time right now for a detailed analysis of Woods’s astrological chart, but a brief overview reveals that he has the Sun in Capricorn which is the sign of success and achievement.  Virgo is rising in the chart (born December 30, 1975 at 10:50 pm, Cypress CA), which reveals his methodical approach to the golf game and his persona and appearance (as represented by the ascendant) of a modest perfectionist (Virgo).  His Moon, though, tells a different story – his Moon (representing his emotional needs) is in freedom-loving Sagittarius, optimistic at heart and full of confidence.  That confidence is expanded by a very big Jupiter (planet of optimism and good fortune) in the assertive sign of Aries, revealing his inner competitive nature.

Uranus is the planet that inspires reckless behavior and urges us to break free of the shackles in our lives that restrict us.  Uranus has been an important influence for Tiger Woods since May of 2008 when it crossed the cusp of Woods’s seventh house of marriage, transiting back and forth over the next 18 months.  At the same time Uranus was in a challenging square (90 degree) formation to his Moon and the Midheaven of his chart, signifying his career.  Clearly this has been a time of intense inner turmoil and perhaps a desire to shatter the confines of his very controlled and public life.

Woods’s progressed chart is quite active as well.  The progressed chart evolves over time just as we do, and his progressed Midheaven (public reputation) crossed his progressed Saturn (tests and challenges) last month as the rumors began to build. 

Had Tiger Woods consulted with an astrologer earlier this year he would have been warned of the potential for a public relations problem with the Saturn/Midheaven in the progressed chart, and understanding the nature of the Uranus transit might have helped him to be a little more cautious in his activities.  It’s not likely that the damage will be permanent, though – transiting Jupiter will make a harmonious trine to the Midheaven in his natal chart in a couple of weeks and smooth everything over.