Astrologer Walter Mercado Becomes Shanti Ananda!

By Michael Lopez

Looks like it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. At 78 years old (though it’s hard to tell), Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado has decided to rename himself Shanti Ananda after a dream where he was contacted by ‘mystics.

Image : Getty Images

In an interview with El Nuevo Dia, “Shanti” explained his new epiphany,

“Tuve una revelación espiritual que recibí y que me dijo que de ahora en adelante me haré llamar Shanti Ananda, mi nombre auténtico en lo místico. Me decía el ser de luz que se me apareció que se necesita más gente de luz en el mundo como yo para ayudar a las familias de Puerto Rico que se están afectando con todo lo que está pasando. Tengo muchos nombres que el maestro Osho me entregó, pero la revelación me comunicó que debía ser Shanti Ananda”

It actually seems like now is as good a time as ever to come up with a new identity. In the past few years, Shanti has had to deal with multi-million dollar lawsuits, a rough split from Univision (after two decades), and tons of negative backlash regarding his “other-worldly” abilities.

But of course, no matter what he calls himself, the former Mr. Mercado still has tons of fans. With his flamboyant outfits, over-the-top deliveries, and wild predictions, he’s still very entertaining and seems to have a lot of big plans for the future (including a book about the 2012 end-of-the-world prophecies).

“Ahora me está apurando mi casa editora por mi próximo libro sobre el mundo en el 2012. No paro, estoy lleno de vitalidad, regenerándome cada día más para seguir llevando el mensaje, desde hoy como Shanti Ananda.”

Good luck Shanti!

Source: [El Nuevo Dia]

Will you be following the predictions of Shanti Ananda? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags 2012, Astrology, Chisme, Cultura, Shanti Ananda, Television, Walter Mercado