A man in a suit strolls into a bodega and orders a chopped cheese. But he’s not just looking for a snack. Zohran Mamdani, the beloved candidate for mayor of New York City, is visiting a local business while narrating a tale of the economic injustice and political corruption that’s harming the city he loves. He’s offering solutions for these issues — and popular ones. Over a montage of New Yorkers voicing their complaints, he promises no-cost childcare, rent freezes for all stabilized tenants, and fast, fare-free buses. “This campaign is for every New Yorker who believes in the dignity of their neighbors,” Zohran says in this video, which goes on to rack up more than 4 million views. And just like that, a hero of the working class is born.
In October 2024, two months before posting that video on social media, Zohran entered the mayoral race as a relatively unknown assemblyman and a member of the Democratic Socialist Party, running against disgraced career politician Andrew Cuomo. Zohran’s posts tend to receive a wave of flame and heart-eye emojis, while Cuomo is better known for his running tally of sexual harassment complaints. And Zohran’s focus on transparency puts him in stark contrast to the behavior of New York City’s current mayor, Eric Adams, who’s been federally indicted for fraud, bribery, and soliciting illegal campaign donations. Zohran shocked the political establishment by beating both Adams and Cuomo in the Democratic primary on June 24th, 2025 (a day that we at CHANI flagged as one of the luckiest of the year — more on that below).
What explains this upstart’s meteoric rise to fame, radical politics, and big vision for leading New York City? Let’s take a look at Zohran’s chart and break down the astro behind it all.
Leo rising and Libra Sun: Getting noticed in the neighborhood
First things first: What sign is motivating Zohran’s mission? For that, we look to his rising sign. Your rising sign indicates what motivates you along your life path. It also speaks to what you want to be known for. And according to Zohran’s reported birth time, his ascendant (aka rising sign) is at 0º of showstopping Leo, which means he’s destined to lead, charm, and command attention.
But there’s a catch. The planet that rules Leo — and therefore the ruler of Zohran’s chart — is the Sun. And Zohran’s Sun is in Libra, which the ancients considered the sign of its fall. The Sun tends to hog the spotlight, both in the sky and in our personal lives, while Libra prefers building relationships, creating harmony, and seeking justice and equality for all. In other words, it’s less “let’s talk about me” and more “what’s up with you?”
This can be a challenging combo, but it also comes with unique gifts. Zohran’s Libra Sun is in his 3rd House of local communities and communications, which makes his life’s purpose even clearer. He’s meant to use his magnanimous Leo rising to form close ties with his neighbors and highlight ideas and policies that matter to his fellow New Yorkers. At the start of his campaign, Zohran decided not to accept funds from big donors. Instead, he aimed to rally enough volunteers to knock on one million doors — and he inspired more than 50,000 people to do just that. Zohran is an advocate of “relational organizing,” which includes strategies like texting everyone in your phone contacts to make sure they have a voting plan — and asking them to send the same message to all of their own contacts. Do you know someone who knows someone? Sounds like a pretty Libran approach.
Zohran also found ways to make politics fun (hey, Leo/Libra collab). Though he addressed serious issues in his primary campaign, his events had a playful spirit that got young people excited to vote. Recently, he held a city-wide scavenger hunt that attracted 4,000 participants, despite getting mocked by Cuomo and Adams. When asked about it on the I’ve Had It podcast, Zohran said:
“There’s room for joy in our politics… If all we ever do is struggle and fight, we will exhaust ourselves. We have to also have a vision of what life could be like, what we’re fighting for…. And I would just say [that Cuomo and Adams], they’re fun haters.”
What a fitting takedown for a Leo rising, which is quick to raise its claws in defense of joyful celebration. Zohran never needed the support of oligarchs, legacy politicians, or dark money. His instincts told him he actually needed the bus drivers, falafel cart vendors, deli clerks, and bodega cats in his corner — and he was right. With the Sun in his 3rd House, Zohran doesn’t have to travel far to tap into his power or confidence. The secret to his success is right outside his Astoria doorstep.
Scorpio stellium in the 4th House: Maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s his Nani
What else is fueling Zohran’s momentum? His ancestors — yes, seriously.
Zohran has a stellium at the base of his chart, with Mercury (the planet of communication), Mars (the planet of action and aggression), Pallas Athena (the asteroid associated with strategic thinking), and Pluto (the planet of wealth, power, and secrets) all in Scorpio — the intense, Mars-ruled water sign. A stellium is a group of three or more planets in one sign or house, which draws extra focus to that part of a chart, and this Scorpio stellium is in Zohran’s 4th House of home and family. So what does this all mean? It shows that Zohran’s roots are especially important in his life, and he comes from a long line of warriors and fighters.
Zohran has been upfront about his parents’ influence on his worldview. His mother is acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, who has directed both lush rom-coms like Monsoon Wedding (2001) and incisive political thrillers like The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), which tackled the harsh treatment of a Pakistani man in the United States after 9/11. Zohran’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a renowned professor of anthropology and international affairs, known for his critiques of colonialism and Eurocentrism. Zohran’s perspective was shaped early on by these two freethinkers who resist dominant systems of power. (Side note: Zohran’s Moon — the planet of nurturance and emotional needs — is in innovative, humanitarian Aquarius, which means he’s likely comforted by intellectually rigorous insights and visionaries like his parents.)
Because Zohran’s Scorpio stellium is at the very bottom of his chart, below the horizon, this side of him isn’t always visible to the world at large. This may be why nobody — at least in the political establishment — saw him coming. His almost overnight transformation from assemblyman to all-star mayoral candidate may have been shocking to some, but it was many years — even generations — in the making. Never underestimate the A+ scheming of a stealthy pack of Scorpio placements.
And there might be nothing more 4th-House-coded than Zohran’s stint as a rapper named Mr. Cardamom. In 2019, he released the song “Nani” to honor the ferocity of his grandmother, played in the music video by famed cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey. Given Zohran’s many planets in his 4th House of parents, grandparents, and ancestry, it makes sense that the video for “Nani” would feature Mr. Cardamom dancing with Jaffrey in a New York City food truck while rapping, “Go ahead, make a wrap for your Nani.”
Venus and Jupiter in Virgo: Spread the wealth around
Zohran’s Venus (the planet of relationships and creativity) and Jupiter (the planet of growth and wisdom) are both in Virgo. These fun-loving planets can have a hard time in this practical earth sign, the place of Venus’ fall and Jupiter’s detriment. But when a planet is in a challenging placement, it learns to be resourceful and channels its gifts in surprising ways. Think: the policy nerd at the casual potluck. Zohran might not be the loudest or rowdiest person on the dance floor, but with his Venus and Jupiter in Virgo (and in his 2nd House of money and economic justice), he’s definitely asking his fellow party guests about their financial struggles — and brainstorming solutions.
Both Venus and Jupiter are benefic planets, which means they bring favorable outcomes and are known for being generous. In Virgo, they want to figure out how to circulate abundance far and wide — and outline all the details in a spreadsheet. The fact that they’re both in the house of economic matters is giving How to Win Friends and Influence People: Democratic Socialist Edition.
Fight the power: Mars, Saturn, and the ascendant square off at the protest
Zohran’s stealthy Scorpio Mars is forming a tense square to his charming Leo ascendant — and because it’s an exact square (at 0º), this is an extra potent aspect. Instead of getting along and working together like friends, squaring placements cause friction and discomfort. But the upside? They have the kind of frenemy relationship that can spur us into motion. Squares give us the shot of adrenaline we need to challenge ourselves and break out of limiting circumstances. This Mars–ascendant aspect means Zohran is extra passionate and driven to get things done. He’s also not afraid of getting into a constructive conflict if it serves his greater mission. You can imagine this square as an astrological knife sharpener, making his Mars placement even more capable of slicing through the noise so he can get his strongest points across.
But that’s not the only aspect striking sparks in his chart. His ascendant is also exactly opposite his Saturn (the planet of tradition and hard work) in Aquarius (its domicile sign, where Saturn has extra support and momentum). Like squares, oppositions create tension, but they’re more like tugs-of-war that require a delicate balance. And guess what’s always exactly opposite the ascendant? The descendant, a point in the chart that represents significant relationships. In other words, Zohran’s Saturn is conjunct his descendant, which means Saturn-coded figures are huge catalysts for him — especially as challengers and opponents.
With this Saturn placement, Zohran understands the importance of rethinking old-school structures and making them fairer and more democratic for all. And because of Saturn’s tight opposition to his ascendant and conjunction with his descendant, Zohran has to be adaptable, mature, and self-disciplined in his approach to issues of authority. He has to decide when to reshape institutions according to his unique, creative vision (that’s his Leo rising) and when to work with what’s already in place (his Saturn).
To top it all off, his Saturn is also squaring Mars, Mercury, and Pallas Athena in the early degrees of Scorpio. Put it all together and these 4th-House placements, Zohran’s Leo ascendant, and his Aquarius Saturn and descendant form a charged aspect called a T-square. (Picture a capital “T” connecting these three parts of Zohran’s chart.) This means that his personal power, his relationship with the status quo, and his roots are all deeply interconnected. We told you: Zohran’s elders have had a bone to pick with unjust systems — and now he’s being called to continue the fight.
A Jupiter cazimi and a Mars–Uranus opposition: In it to win it
Those fairer systems might just be within reach. When Zohran won the Democratic primary on June 24th, 2025, videos of joyful screaming were all over social media, and many reporters at mainstream newspapers were breathless with surprise. Is it a coincidence that this was the date of the Jupiter cazimi in Cancer, when the planet of good fortune was re-energized by the rays of the Sun? We think not. This was a key moment to plant seeds for the compassionate, community-oriented future that Zohran and his supporters want to co-create.
No matter what happens next — whether he wins or loses the mayoral election, whether he follows through on his campaign promises or is forced to make some compromises — Zohran’s supporters have made at least one thing clear: They want to live in a place that, in Zohran’s words, honors “the dignity of their neighbors.” June 24th gave us a glimpse of what that place could be, if we all show up to build it together.
One thing is certain: Change is afoot. The New York City mayoral election will take place on November 4th — the day of a disruptive and energizing opposition between Mars and Uranus, and on the heels of an idealistic Mars–Neptune trine. It may not be smooth sailing, but Zohran’s chart suggests he’s up for the challenge. As for the corrupt billionaires, broligarchs, and legacy sex pests of the current political order, sorry — looks like it’s a wrap for you.
