I watched Mucho Mucho Amor, the netflix bio-pic about Walter Mercado last night. I’d never heard of him. I just saw the thumbnail and something made me click on it. An excellent documentary about a very unique and admirable man.
Maybe your first response will be like mine … Wow, this guy is like the Liberace of astrologers with his flamboyant costumes and dramatic manner. But it become more clear that the real substance of his life was that he reached a lot of people with positivity, encouragement, and uplifting thoughts. In that way I want to be more like Walter Mercado.
Contradictions in the birth data
So I thought I’d look up his birth chart and there is one at Astrodatabank (ADB)based on AA rated birth data. However, this is a case in which an AA rating is not as clear-cut as we’d like to think.
The birth record that serves as the basis of the AA data in ADB (25 April 1931 at 6 a.m.) has a link that is now broken (‘error, not found’ blank page). There are varying years of birth given for him. Wikipedia says he was born 9 March 1932. At least one story given in a video on youtube (now gone) says 1938. Walter says in Mucho Mucho Amor, “I was born in the country.”
So the city of Ponce, the second largest city in Puerto Rico, is not accurate enough. Maybe he was born in the country near Ponce — but which direction and how far away? The netflix documentary also gives 1932 as the year of birth. In this New York Times article Kareem Tabsch, director of the netflix documentary, is referenced as saying he had seen 1932 on Walter’s birth certificate.
So that AA rating is now very questionable unless a genuine birth document reappears to confirm it. For now there are too many problems related to basic birth data to have a single trustworthy chart for an astrological reading.
In many ways he was ahead of his time. His androgynous appearance and flamboyant manner somehow did not work against him in very Catholic, Latin America with its male machismo. He seemed to overcome any such bias with his effusion of positive energy, emphasis on love and peace, and messages that people persist and believe in themselves. He never allowed his personal sexuality or gender fluidity issues for the public or an obstacle for himself.
He started his career as a dancer and actor, which led him rather spontaneously into being an on-camera astrologer, first in his native Puerto Rico, then later in Latin American and many countries around the world, including the US.
As I was watching the documentary I didn’t feel anything Taurus from him at all. I was getting Piscean/Neptunian sensitivity/spirituality and drama expressed through a Leonine personality. The rectangular facial outline suggests a fixed sign (or planets) on the Asc (which could allow for Taurus/Sun), and the expressive, dramatic personality speaks to me of Leo more than anything. Here are some pictures from his younger days where the facial outline is clearer:
So March 9th as his birthday makes more sense to me. Yes, Moon was in Leo on April 25th, 1931, but it was also closely conjunct Mars, which I find questionable based on the portrayal of his shy boyhood. Check out this NY Times article, Walter Mercado: There Was a Duality to Everything About Him. It suggests Pisces (March 9th) more than Taurus/Leo (April 25th).
What do you know about Walter Mercado?
I’d really like to get the birth data confirmed. A copy of the birth certificate — anything solid.
I’ve done a fair bit of web searching today, but I’ve got to get on to other things. If you know more biography about Walter Mercado or can link me to documents or documentaries with birth data, please share them below in the comments. Thank you.
Kannon McAfee Natural Healing 