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Walter Mercado (sometimes referred to simply as "Walter"; b. March 9, 1932) is a flamboyant Puerto Rican astrologer who has become a personal astrologer for many celebrities. He is currently a regular contributor to Univisión's television magazine show Primer Impacto with a daily horoscope reading. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Look up flaming in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hand-coloured version of the anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). ... This redirect page is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... [[Image:www. ... A horoscope calculated for January 1, 2000 at 12:01:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time in New York City, New York, USA (Longitude: 074W0023 - Latitude: 40N4251). In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and...

Biography

Childhood

Mercado was born March 9 on board a ship travelling from Spain to Puerto Rico. His parents are José María Mercado and Aida Salinas, a native of Catalonia, Spain. He was eventually raised in Ponce and Fajardo. Both of them motivated and influenced Mercado's interest in the Arts, Science, spirituality, and nature. He did very well in school, and was mostly an introverted child. is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Italian Full rigged ship Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large watercraft capable of offshore navigation. ... Anthem: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Gentilic: Ponceños Location Location of Ponce, Puerto Rico within Puerto Rico Government Founded 1692 Mayor Francisco Zayas Seijo Political party PPD Senatorial district 5 - Ponce Representative district 24, 25 Geographical characteristics Area Total 501. ... Nickname: Los Cariduros, La Metrópolis del Sol Naciente Gentilic: Fajardeños Location Location of Fajardo, Puerto Rico within Puerto Rico Government Founded 1772 Mayor Hon. ... Introversion may mean: Introversion and extroversion, a psychological term Introversion Software, a games developing company This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

Allegedly, he learned to read the Tarot cards when he was a child. He is also noted to have performed small traditional Haitian voodoo ceremonies of which he had never been familiar. He believes he learned them from previous lives. This article is about the general history, iconography, and uses of tarot cards. ... Voodoo (Vodou, Vodoun, Vudu, or Vudun in Benin, Togo, southeastern Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Senegal; also Vodou in Haiti) is a name attributed to a traditionally uten West African spiritual system of faith and ritual practices. ...

Studies and artistic career

After finishing high school in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Mercado studied at the University of Puerto Rico where he studied pharmacy to please his parents. Then he studied psychology, theater, and dance. For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... Founded in 1903, the University of Puerto Rico (Universidad de Puerto Rico in Spanish, UPR) is the oldest and largest university system in Puerto Rico. ... For other uses, see Pharmacy (disambiguation). ... Psychology (from Greek: ψυχή, psukhē, spirit, soul; λόγος, logos, knowledge) is both an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. ... For other usages see Theatre (disambiguation) Theater (American English) or Theatre (British English and widespread usage among theatre professionals in the US) is that branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle &#8212... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ...

Mercado began his career as a dancer (hometown friend and later Puerto Rican senator Velda González was a dancing partner), and was later an actor in early Puerto Rican soap operas. As such, he was one of the first Puerto Rican teen idols. He received much praise as a dancer (particularly flamenco dancing) and as an actor, usually in theater or as the male antagonist in soap operas. For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... For Philippine soap opera, see Teleserye. ... For other uses, see Teen idol (disambiguation). ... Flamenco is a Spanish musical genre. ...

One fateful day in 1967, Paquito Cordero, the producer of El Show de Las Doce, a popular noon variety show on WKAQ-TV in San Juan, needed a replacement for a small astrology segment he was testing within the program. Two previous airings had raised interest from the mostly female audience, but the person selected for the role read the scripts for each sign without showing much interest. Cordero then approached Mercado, who was a hanger-by in the studio during lunchtime, between filmings of his current soap opera. He asked Mercado to fill in for the rest of the week, to see how he would feel about the section, but warned that the section still had no sponsor, and would have to be discontinued if one was not available. Paquito Cordero (born Fransisco Cordero Baez in 1932 in Santurce, Puerto Rico) was a comedian and T.V. producer and also one of the pioneers of Puerto Rican television. ... WKAQ-TV is a full-power television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over analog channel 2, digital 28. ...

Mercado had strong self doubts about his ability to look believable giving astrological advice, and was seriously tempted to approach it as a comedy section, but since he was a fan of alternative spiritual philosophies, he decided to consult his Tarot cards to see how the experience would fare. His interpretation of the reading gave him three clues: first, that following this path would be a lifelong affair; second, that he would be extremely successful following this path, and third, that he would be blessed or guided by twelve characters or symbols. This last part puzzled him. The next morning, just minutes before going on the air, Cordero's production assistants told him that a sponsor had been found: Westinghouse, the electrical appliances company. Mercado realized that the name "Westinghouse" had twelve letters, and to him, this was as good an omen as he could receive. He restrained himself from sounding too satirical while reading the advice for each sign, but improvised explanations for the logic behind each reading that made the section, named Walter, las estrellas, y usted (Walter, The Stars and You) an instant hit among the studio audience, and later among television viewers. This article is about the defunct Westinghouse Electric Corporation founded in 1886, renamed CBS Corporation in 1997, and purchased by Viacom in 1999. ...

Mercado then did what he recalls as a leap of faith. He decided to leave acting behind and jump head on into astrology as a career. He knew about professional astrologers such as Sydney Omarr and Jeanne Dixon, but did not know how to properly style his section as to sound believable. Enthusiastic about the response he had in his daily section (which had expanded to a 15-minute segment), he decided to make formal studies in astrology from that point on. Hand-coloured version of the anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). ... Sydney Omarr (5 August 1926 – 2 January 2003) was an astrologer and counsellor to the rich and famous. ... Jeane Dixon (January 5, 1904 - January 26, 1997) was one of the best-known American astrologers and psychics of the 20th century, due to her syndicated newspaper astrology column, some well-publicized predictions and a best-selling biography. ...

Astrologer career

For a short time in 1968, Mercado visited India, where he studied astrology. On returning to Puerto Rico, he hosted a weekly astrology television show, first on WKAQ-TV, and later on its spinoff station, WRIK-TV (channel 7 in Ponce). Westinghouse remained a steady and long-time sponsor. Flag Seal Nickname: Gentilic: Ponceños Location Location of Ponce, Puerto Rico within Puerto Rico Government Founded 1692 Mayor Francisco Zayas Seijo Political party PPD Senatorial district 5 - Ponce Representative district 24, 25 Geographical characteristics Area Total 501. ...

At the time, Mercado had been linked romantically to a model, whom he rarely identified but always referred to as his soulmate. She died on an airplane accident in the Dominican Republic in February 1970 that killed Dominican boxer Carlos "Teo" Cruz, the Puerto Rican national volleyball team, and almost killed the entire lineup of El Gran Combo, which decided not to board the airplane at the last minute. Mercado then fell into depression, and claimed that serious meditation and adoption of Eastern philosophies made him survive the ordeal. At the same time, he also adopted a flamboyant dress-up style, based on Liberace's, claiming that grandmothers within his audience loved him dressing up in capes. One of these capes cost over USD$60,000. The Dominicana de Aviacion Santo Domingo DC-9 air disaster occurred on February 15, 1970. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican Salsa music orchestra. ... Wladziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987), better known by only his last name Liberace (LIB-ber-RAH-chee), was an American entertainer. ...

When WRIK-TV was bought by Tommy Muñiz and later went bankrupt, Mercado's show soon moved to WKBM-TV, which later became WLII-TV, Tele Once (channel 11). Tommy Muñiz (born approx. ... Tele Once (once is eleven in the Spanish language), now known as Univision Puerto Rico, is a television station in Puerto Rico, on channel 11. ...

He has had shows on American television as well. For a while during the late 1980s, he moved to Miami, Florida, where he became better known to the American public and people of other English-speaking countries. At about that time he also managed to establish a dial-a-horoscope business in Brazil, grossing approximately 30 million dollars over a 2 1/2 year period. His strong accent when trying to say "Call Now" in Portuguese (translated as "ligue já", but pronounced by him "ligue Djá") became his trademark. He ran close to 100 different TV commercials and became a target for mockery by comedians. The campaign was popular and highly successful having lead the local astrology market, especially due to the creative use of alternative media, mainly the blackouts in satellite transmissions for local affiliates. Since Brazil has an estimated 25% homes with satellite dishes and the cost for airing on satellite ranged from 3 to 7% at the time, a whole new market was created and imitators, like Mãe Dinah, abounded. The operation came to an end when, in 1998, the Brazilian government shut down all 900 billing because telebetting was taking a dent from the federal monopoly on gaming. Reportedly the equivalent of 500 million dollars were spent by viewers on instant lotteries in the six months before the 1998 World Cup, taking massive revenue from Lotto and other government run betting products. However, to this date many Brazilians still mimic his "ligue dja" to refer to something that comes from abroad and does not take proper account of the local language or culture. Nickname: Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida Coordinates: , Country State County Miami-Dade Incorporated July 28, 1896 Government  - Type Mayor-Commissioner Plan  - Mayor Manny Diaz (I)  - City Manager Pedro G. Hernandez  - City Attorney Jorge L. Fernandez  - City Clerk Priscilla Thompson Area  - City  55. ...

In addition to his work for celebrities, Mercado also does mall tours where he gives out his predictions for free. For the traditional meaning of the word mall, see pedestrian street or promenade. ...

Recent years

Mercado recently began writing horoscopes for a Spanish publication sponsored by megastore company K Mart. He also appears in a Spanish commercial for Old Navy. He had a minor, yet key, role in the film Chasing Papi. Additionally, Universal Pictures released Walter's first of several DVDs titled, "Las Maravillosas Recetas de Walter Mercado." He was interviewed once by Howard Stern, who constantly mocked Mercado and made insinuations as to his sexual orientation; Mercado was a good sport during the interview, laughed most of it off, and did not give any personal details away. Kmart Corporation was a US based corporation until it merged with Sears Holdings in November 2004. ... Old Navy is a brand of clothing and chain of stores owned by Gap Inc. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... This article is a biography of Howard Stern as an individual; for information regarding his radio show see The Howard Stern Show. ...

On May 2007 a civil lawsuit opened at the Federal District Court in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In it, Mercado asks for USD$5 million in damages against William Bakkula, a former agent of his who, according to Mercado's defense, enticed him into giving away his rights over past, current and future output and misappropriated earnings obtained in personal appearances and telemarketing fees. On June 18, 2007, the trial was transferred to the Federal District Court of Miami, since both parties claim Miami as their main residence.

Spiritual credentials

• Mercado received a doctorate in Divinity from the International Philo-Byzantine Academy & University.
• In 1969 he was inducted as a Universal Teacher in Poona, Bombay.
• In Tibet and Nepal he holds the title of Chela and Buddhist Bikku.
• He has been a minister of the California Christian Brotherhood since 1970.
• He also has another doctorate in Divine Healing from Tokyo, Japan.

For other uses, see Divinity (disambiguation) and Divine (disambiguation). ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Pune, formerly called Poona, is the second largest city (after Mumbai) in the state of Maharashtra, India. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... Look up chela in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tokyo (東京; Tōkyō, lit. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. (June 2007) The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into other sections and removing inappropriate items.

• Mercado's trademarks are his wildly colored capes, designer suits and sharp wit.
• He often involves world situations, politics, The Bible and numerous other themes in his predictions.
• Mercado's main philosophy deals with love and his message centers on this.
• Many people^{[citation needed]} believe his horoscopes apply to everyone and are not specific to your sign.
• Although Mercado is widely rumoured to be gay, a news story circulated in early 2004 that Mercado would soon be marrying a long-time friend at the age of 74.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection or profound oneness. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ...

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans