Editing Walter Mercado (section)

== Early years ==
Mercado was born on March 9, 1932,<ref name="imdb-most" /> in [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]],<ref name="imdb-most" /> where he spent his early childhood. His parents were José María Mercado, from [[San Germán, Puerto Rico|San Germán]], Puerto Rico, and Aída Salinas from [[Catalonia]], [[Spain]].<ref name="prpop" /> Mercado believed that he had spiritual abilities, even as a child.<ref name="McBride">{{cite web |last1=McBride |first1=Jessica |title=Walter Mercado Dead: A Tribute to the Astrologer |url=https://heavy.com/news/2019/11/walter-mercado-dead/ |website=Heavy.com |access-date=3 November 2019 |language=en |date=3 November 2019}}</ref> He attended university majoring in [[pedagogy]], [[psychology]] and [[pharmacy]], and used these skills to teach others, to study the human mind and to learn about the healing properties of [[medicinal plants]].<ref>[http://www.elnuevodia.com/fotogaleria-dewaltermercadoashantiananda-1163690.html ''De Walter Mercado a Shanti Ananda: Metamorfosis del astrólogo más famoso de América Latina.''] El Nuevo Dia. 11 January 2012. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120115210656/http://www.elnuevodia.com/fotogaleria-dewaltermercadoashantiananda-1163690.html Archived.]</ref>