Your mantra for the week: “When I hear music, it is God speaking to me.”

A few years back, I made a comparison of the two versions of the Lord’s Prayer—one directly translated from Aramaic to English and began with “O cosmic Birther of all radiance and vibration”; and the other a well-known version often referred to as “Our Father,” translated from Aramaic to Greek to Latin to English and, in the process, ending up lost in translation.

In IAMISM, the difference between a Cosmic Birther (CB) and a Father is that the word “father” gives the impression that God is likened to a human being with the supreme power and sits in judgment over humanity, deciding who will be saved or who will go to hell if its commandments are not followed.

Most importantly, the father is made to act like an external being who resides in heaven, somewhere “up there.”

In consciousness, when you put God (synonymous to Good) “up there,” you have literally separated your good from yourself, when in truth, you are already one with that good.

And through the proper use of your thoughts, feelings, words and actions, you manifest that good in your outer experience. On the other hand, the CB is merely birthing the whole cosmos of radiance and vibration (energy) and is one with all that it has birthed.

The CB, furthermore, never sits in judgment but will produce the negative and the positive, as dictated by one’s consciousness, especially the aspects that one can call one’s sincerest beliefs.

What do you believe God is? What about life, do you believe it is a struggle? What about yourself, do you believe you are a sinner and that you are here on earth to suffer because you are the poor banished child of Eve?

Well, the CB makes sure that it is done unto you, according to your belief, because the CB always says yes to whatever you have in consciousness—
whether negative or positive, considering the CB never judges, but just keeps birthing accordingly.

I have a whole lecture on the comparison of these two versions of the Lord’s Prayer. Anyone who is interested to get a copy may send me an e-mail.

Cecile Licad, up close

Last week was truly a special treat. It began with an intimate dinner with internationally renowned concert pianist, our very own Cecile Licad, at the residence of former Philippine ambassador to the Vatican Bienvenido Tantoco and hosted by his daughter Nedy.

I was very flattered when Nedy called to say that Cecile “specified you in particular” to be at the dinner, an intimate one for only eight guests.

One of Cecile’s closest friends, Irene Araneta, was one of the eight and it was such a pleasure to sit with her at a dinner table—after decades of not doing so since the days when Greggy was trying to win her heart. I remember her as being perfectly unassuming, and she still is. She is artistic, lady-like, truly refined and totally nonpolitical.

Nedy was surprised to find out that I first met Cecile only over the phone, through the courtesy of maestro violinist Rony Rogoff who had requested me to do Cecile’s natal chart. It was only a few years after that we met personally, at a concert she performed in at the Philamlife Auditorium a decade ago.

We had a chance to meet more often in 2015, when Cecile came over to play at the Apec Summit and brought her own piano, a Steinway Hamburg, which she rented for the occasion, saying, “only the very best for the Philippines.”

After the sumptuous dinner with lots of good laughs, Cecile enchanted us with Ravel’s “Ondine,” Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and Liszt-Busoni’s “Mephisto.”

Giampaolo Lomi (a close friend and house guest of the Tantocos), DJ Lopez and Sandra Padilla sat silently, consumed by the music that only Cecile Licad can produce on the piano, while Irene preferred to walk around the vicinity, absorbing, in silence, everything she heard.

Sublime music

Three days later, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Philippine Italian Association and Rustan’s, together with Peninsula Manila, presented Cecile Licad in “Chopin in the Key of C.”

She played two Chopin piano concertos—starting with “Concerto No. 1 in E minor op. 11,” and, after intermission, went into “Concerto No. 2 in F minor op. 21,” both accompanied by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Olivier Ochanine, who flew in from Hanoi specially for the concert.

Cecile’s popularity was apparent—the CCP was packed with her many fans who would not let her go until she played two solo encores by herself, the full orchestra listening. If the people had their way, they would make her stay till midnight.

Observing her on stage is like watching a child at play who is totally immersed in the pleasure of a favorite toy, completely oblivious of anything else. If Chopin were alive and listening to her, he would probably be in awe of his own music rendered by someone like Cecile. If he were not aware of his own genius while composing these two concertos, Cecile’s performance that night would convince him that he did a good job.

Chopin’s music never sounded more lyrical and magical than that unforgettable evening. When Cecile touched the piano keys, it was always an adventure of the best kind. Truly, Chopin was all there in the key of C-ecile. Oh my gush, I am goshing!

Post-reception dinner

At the post-reception in the Silangan Hall, we sat with the United States’ second-in-command of the American embassy, Michael Klecheski, with his affable Filipino wife Eloisa de Leon, as well as CCP president Nick Lizaso, who was truly amazed at Cecile’s talents and the pride that she has brought the Philippines. Nick’s wife Belen was there to lend support. Nick assured us that, within his term as president, he would get the CCP Complex completed.

It was nice connecting with cousin Margie Moran and her sister Lulette, who is married to Philip Monbiot, and their beautiful mother Charo, who could have been Miss Universe a generation before Margie, had she joined the beauty contest. Today, Charo looks like an older sister of Margie and Lulette.

I must compliment L’Opera Ristorante for what was described as cocktails, but was actually a wonderful dinner.

Thank God for music! It is everyone’s business. Let your life be a song.

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