It seems there is no end to the incredible and mysterious things that one may encounter in Ciudad Verdadero, a 23-hectare hill between the towns of Sampaloc and Lukban in Quezon Province. Considered to be a sacred and mystical place by its owner, Artemio Cataquiz, an architect-businessman from Pateros, Metro Manila, it is also considered a powerful energy center by those who have visited the place. It is a virtual virgin forest, and only a small portion is developed. Nobody lives there except a caretaker’s family.

Like any mystical place, such as Mt. Banahaw in Dolores, Quezon, Ciudad Verdadero (or City of Truth) is merely a reflection of one’s state of consciousness. A person may go there and experience a lot of mystical things. On the other hand, another may go there and experience nothing extraordinary at all.

I have been to this mysterious place several times during the past three or four years, and almost every time I go there, I experience something new and extraordinary, the latest of which was our encounter with a swaying, dancing, or even “talking” leaf, which answered questions posed to it by moving to and fro if the answer was “yes,” and staying still if the answer was “no.”

I first heard of this extraordinary “talking” leaf a year ago from my former students Celine and Julie, who texted me about their unusual experience, but I thought of it merely as an isolated incident.

“There were three separate waving leaves along the path that we took,” began Celine in her text message. “The first one we didn’t mind so much, because only I saw it and I pointed it out to Julie, but I brushed it aside because Julie saw it only briefly. The second leaf I saw again with more awareness, and Julie saw it, too. So we approached and talked to it.

“When Julie placed her hand near the leaf, it stuck to her hand. But when I placed my hand, the leaf went up. It was going up and down, so we took turns touching it with our hands.

“The third and final leaf we saw was shaking all by itself. No other leaf displayed the same motion. To confirm that we were not merely imagining things, we did the same with our hands. It reacted the same way.

“I got the message that everything is balanced in that place, with both positive and negative energies existing there. It is a message of unconditional love; no judgments. Everything simply ‘is.’”

Sisters Anjie and Edan also encountered the mysterious leaf. While walking along a path leading to the Cretan Labyrinth, Anjie saw a leaf waving at her. When the wind moved in one direction, the leaf would move in the opposite direction, as if to show them that it was not the wind that was moving it. When asked a question, the leaf would sway if the answer was “yes,” and keep still if the answer was “no,” much like how a pendulum works.

Camera-shy

Merly Tabujara, a teacher from Silay, Negros Occidental, encountered it twice, the first with a friend, Johnny Robredo, and the second with sisters Edan and Anjie.

“Johnny pointed to a single leaf that was waving at us,” related Merly. “There was no wind to make that leaf move. When I touched it, it bent down to my palm, as if giving me a kiss. I started caressing the leaf and it swayed joyfully.”

Like Tin-Tin Reed and the others, she discovered that it would sway if the answer was “yes” and would keep still if the answer was “no.”

“My first question was, ‘Would you like me to take your picture?’ And the leaf stopped moving. My second question was, ‘Are you camera shy?’—and the leaf swayed to and fro vigorously.” That’s why she named the leaf “Shy” and it responded positively to that name.

Our group last June 30 encountered the swaying leaf across the entrance to the spring. We couldn’t go near it because it was surrounded by other plants and trees. We were fascinated by what we were all seeing while sitting on the stairs going down to the spring. I also asked several questions and got definite answers; so did Tom, the American guest of mine who experienced something completely out of this world. According to him, as he was looking at the swaying leaf, everything around it became two-dimensional. Then a hole appeared beyond which he could see the leaf. When he asked questions, it would sway if the answer was “yes,” or stand still if the answer was “no.” He was the only one who had this extraordinary mystical experience.

Said Art Cataquiz, “When the higher spirits descend, all plants move, including coconut trees.”

For more info about Ciudad Verdadero, you may contact Mr. Cataquiz at tel. 6424877.

Note: The next Soulmates, Karma and Reincarnation seminar is on Aug. 18 at Rm. 308 Prince Plaza I, Legazpi St., Greenbelt, Makati. For details, please call 8107245, 8159890, 0920-9818962, 0920-9818963; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.jimmylicauco.com