Friends Of Open Secret Bookstore

Friends Of Open Secret Bookstore Delights for the Body, Mind and Soul and the expression of the Divine can be found inside Open Secret

One of a kind Spiritual Cultural Center dedicated to sharing Wisdom and Beauty featuring all world religions and mystical teachings

03/25/2026

👁️ The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the most detailed infrared image ever taken of the Helix Nebula, one of the closest and most iconic planetary nebulae in the sky, and a preview of what may one day happen to our own Sun.

Located about 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, the Helix Nebula has been a favourite target of telescopes for nearly two centuries. Its bold ring-like shape earned it the nickname the "Eye of God." But Webb's near-infrared camera has now zoomed in closer than ever, revealing structures that previous observatories could only hint at.

The image highlights thousands of dense, comet-like pillars of gas streaming away from the inner edge of an expanding shell of material. These knots form when fierce, superheated winds from the dying central star slam into cooler layers of gas and dust that were shed earlier in the star's life. The collisions sculpt the nebula into intricate, textured shapes.

At the heart of the nebula sits a blazing white dwarf, the collapsed core of the original star. Its intense radiation lights up the surrounding gas in layers: hot ionised gas nearest the centre, cooler molecular hydrogen further out, and pockets where more complex molecules are beginning to form within dust clouds. This recycled stellar material is the raw ingredient from which new stars and planets may eventually form elsewhere.

02/17/2026

🌑 Starting February 17, 2026, Earth enters what astronomers are calling a "golden age" of solar eclipses. Over the next three years, six solar eclipses will sweep across the planet: three "ring of fire" annular eclipses and three total solar eclipses, all between 2026 and 2028.

Here's the full lineup:

☀️ Annular ("Ring of Fire") Eclipses:
Feb 17, 2026 — Antarctica
Feb 6, 2027 — Chile, Argentina, West Africa
Jan 26, 2028 — Galápagos Islands, Spain

🌒 Total Solar Eclipses:
Aug 12, 2026 — Iceland, Greenland, northern Spain (first total eclipse from mainland Europe since 1999)
Aug 2, 2027 — Spain, North Africa, Egypt (the "Eclipse of the Century" with up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality)
Jul 22, 2028 — Australia, New Zealand (totality over Sydney for the first time since 1857)

This double cascade happens because three separate Saros cycles, the ancient patterns that govern when and where eclipses occur, are firing in sync. The last time this happened was 2008 to 2010, but most of those eclipses fell over oceans and remote areas. This time, the paths cross some of the world's most iconic and accessible destinations.

For eclipse chasers, this is generational. Three total solar eclipses across three continents in under two years. It all starts today with a ring of fire over Antarctica 🔥

02/04/2026

In 1921, Walter Russell withdrew from ordinary life for 39 days. When he emerged, he claimed to have perceived the underlying blueprint of the universe. The scientific establishment dismissed the experience outright. A century later, his ideas are being revisited with fresh eyes.

Russell was already exceptional before this event. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, and elite figure skater who had created works for presidents and royalty. Yet in May of that year, at age 49, he entered what he later described as a sustained illumination—an altered state of awareness so intense that his family feared for his sanity. Physicians were called to examine him. They found no illness. What was occurring, they concluded, was something else.

Russell described a complete separation between bodily sensation and consciousness. His body functioned normally, but awareness expanded beyond personal identity. During this period, he claimed direct insight into the organizing principles of reality. He recorded matter as compressed light, energy as rhythmic exchange, and the universe as a living, breathing system governed by balance and motion. Consciousness, in his view, preceded form rather than emerging from it.

In 1927, after years of refinement, Russell published The Universal One, outlining a cosmology that unified physics, light, and mind. The response from mainstream science was swift and cold. The work crossed an invisible boundary by blending scientific structure with metaphysical insight. It did not fit the worldview of its time.

One reader, however, understood the scope of what Russell was attempting. Nikola Tesla reportedly advised him to hide the work for a thousand years—not because it was wrong, but because the culture was not ready to receive it.

Russell’s ideas refused to disappear. He anticipated the discovery of several elements later confirmed by nuclear science, spoke of elemental transmutation before it was experimentally demonstrated, emphasized wave behavior over particle collision, and insisted consciousness played a foundational role in reality—decades before modern physics encountered these same tensions.

Russell spent the remainder of his life teaching and refining his vision, founding the University of Science and Philosophy and publishing The Secret of Light. He believed humanity was approaching a necessary reunion of science and spirituality grounded in natural law rather than belief.

For decades after his death, his work lingered in obscurity. Then perspectives shifted. Consciousness studies expanded. Physics began questioning strict materialism. Systems thinking, plasma cosmology, and holistic models of reality began echoing ideas Russell articulated a century earlier.

His legacy is not about having final answers. It is about the courage to ask different questions. Russell refused to separate science from philosophy or matter from mind. He insisted on wholeness—on a universe understood as one source expressing itself through rhythmic balance.

He stepped into silence and returned with a vision the world was not prepared to hear.
Ideas, however, are patient.
Sometimes they wait a century for the world to catch up.

01/13/2026

Harvard Scientist Claims Antimatter Reveals a Universe Designed by God

In a bold and thought-provoking claim a Harvard physicist argues that the precise mathematics governing antimatter may point to a universe intentionally designed rather than random. Antimatter is the mysterious mirror counterpart to ordinary matter, and for every particle we see there exists a tiny opposite twin. The equations describing their interactions are extraordinarily precise—so precise that some scientists now wonder if such perfection could arise by chance.

Antimatter is not just a curiosity of physics—it shapes how the universe evolves. Its behaviour determines why matter dominates over antimatter, why galaxies form, and ultimately why we exist at all. The Harvard scientist suggests that the incredible mathematical symmetry and balance seen in these interactions might reflect an underlying intelligence or purpose behind the cosmos.

While this idea remains highly controversial it invites us to explore the intersection of science, philosophy, and spirituality. The discovery encourages reflection on whether the universe is purely a product of random forces or whether the precise rules of physics hint at a deeper design.

Regardless of one’s beliefs this perspective highlights the beauty and order embedded in the universe and the astonishing precision of natural laws. It reminds us that science is not only a tool for understanding reality but also for inspiring awe and wonder about the cosmos we inhabit.

The Universe Is Love  Hidden yet never forgotten Hi hiTVWhat if I told you that the universe is made of love?And what if...
12/23/2025

The Universe Is Love
Hidden yet never forgotten

Hi hi
TV

What if I told you that the universe is made of love?
And what if I told you that you are a living neuron in the body of that universal love—connected not only to every other human being, but to every atom in the cosmos? The atoms that compose you are shared with all beings; they belong to you, and they belong to me. There is no true separation—only the appearance of it.

How does each human being come to remember our infinite loving origins?
Every human being will know this undeniably.
If not in life, then in the eternal moments following the death of the physical body—at least for a transitional interval—because the soul is always there, even when temporarily forgotten.

Throughout the history of human life on Earth, most of us have been born not knowing where we come from, nor where we are going. We arrive into a world rich with meaning, yet poor in remembrance.

And yet, across time, advanced scouts of consciousness—mystics, sages, poets, and realizers—have kept alive a quiet knowing: that the universe is love, and that humanity is its natural embodiment, expressed in inspired and human ways.

A modern voice of this ordinary mysticism can be found in the poetry of Walt Whitman, especially in his epic cycle Leaves of Grass. What was extraordinary about Whitman was not merely what he saw, but who he spoke for. He was a herald of a universal enlightenment available to everyone, not a revelation reserved for a precious few.

This is an omen of the rapid evolution hidden in the roots and origins of humanity—an evolution sometimes gestured toward by metaphors like the “hundredth monkey,” or perhaps more fittingly today, the millionth human: the one who rediscovers a sacred pattern hidden in the human body itself. So obvious is this pattern that it is often overlooked, obscured by the distractions of baseline conditioning and the relentless reinforcement of a shared mortal culture—one whose agreements rarely extend beyond the lifespan of the body.

It turns out that even a slight leaning toward the right hemisphere of the human brain reveals an eternal vision—one that exists beyond the continually reinforced assumptions of mortality that dominate our social language and collective agreements.

A helpful metaphor for this natural human evolution—patiently waiting, radiating from the center of every human heart—is that of three concentric circles, each governed by the physics of a different level of consciousness.

At the center is the heart: the still point, the seat of universal consciousness, where a peace exists that passes all argument of Earth and mortality. From this center, even hurricanes—whether of weather or of human life—can be witnessed without being mistaken for the whole.

From this central stillness arises the sun-like nature of the soul: radiant, life-giving, and unconditioned. Just as a star is born through nuclear fire and extends itself outward—becoming planets, mirrors, and orbits—so too does consciousness express itself through successive layers of form.

Upon further contemplation and meditation, one may see a profound correspondence:
the Sun as the soul,
the Moon as the mind,
and the Earth as the body—
the physical vessel from which personality, temperament, and character arise.

The two outer circles—the mind and the body—are conditioned by design. They can be fully enjoyed and deeply loved only when grounded in the soul-centered Sun, which alone is unconditioned by its intrinsic nature of radiant, life-giving light.

The Sun is the soul.
The Moon is the mind.
The Earth is the body—our most personal self, the child of evolution.

Much of the turbulence of human life arises when the soul is forgotten.

If you seek a grounded vision of this universal self, contemplate the solar system: the Sun as the living heart; the surrounding reflective circle as the mind of awareness; and the outer world as the small self—the stage upon which the story of our current world unfolds.

This outer circle, when isolated from its source, is often called the ego. Yet a more generous and accurate understanding reveals the ego not as an enemy, but as a divine egg—a latent seed of divinity corresponding to an adolescent stage of human evolution. It waits patiently to be contemplated, understood, and eventually hatched.

When the universal love that forms the true fabric of our cosmic origins awakens to itself, it is no longer identified solely with the soul, the mind, or the body. The bridge back to our inheritance is the integration and harmonization of all three concentric circles—forms of matter with different densities, each temporary, each sacred.

As all limited identifications fall away, we awaken as universal conscious love itself—utterly accepting, unconditioned being.

And yet this love does not abandon the human form. It moves through a human agent whose destiny is to become the heart, mind, eyes, body, and hands of this devotion—leaving traces, like the subtle fragrance of love, wherever it is called to travel.

The outer circle in it’s temporary separation from the soul can be completely accepted because it’s profound inertia cannot be changed for all Practicle purposes.
The soul completly understands why the world in December 2025 is so tragic, so generative of profound suffering to all life on earth. How can love flower under such conditions of threat for the very survival of the human being via war, hunger, disease and stressful maintaining of shelter.

The middle circle, the mirror of mind, can be utterly accepted and understood as a transitional reflection of life when the doors of perception are still cloudy.
One can bear witness to the mind as it arises, ultimately reflecting all partial visions and opinions, yet can not be controlled given the inertia of the conditioning of mind, when temporarily exiled from the soul. Buddhism is the address to the foibles of the mind, having been formulated to address the mind in it’s limitation.

It is almost Impossable to feel empathy and express kindness between cells that are isolated, triggered and struggling for survival.

It is second nature to love, care for, be in deep empathy with cells in your own universal self.

There is no other way to bridge this gulf.

Hospice for the living,
The way of resting in peace while alive being healthy enough to understand and enjoy it.

To be continued……..

12/05/2025

According to the show 60 Minutes:
Just in case you missed it: a lawyer advised us to post this. The violation of privacy can be punished by law NOTE: Facebook Meta is now a public entity. Every member must post a note like this. If you do not publish a statement at least once, it will be technically understood that you are allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in your profile status updates.
I HEREBY DECLARE THAT I DO NOT GIVE MY PERMISSION FOR FACEBOOK OR META TO USE ANY OF MY PERSONAL DATA. I do not give consent!

I do not give consent!

11/16/2025

"Architecture begins when you connect two bricks"

“Art begins with resistance - at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor.” Andre Gide

The Royal Staircase of the Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola. A true masterpiece that turns your head.

Designed in 1560 by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, the spiral staircase of Palazzo Farnese connects the floors with dizzying elegance.

The 16th century magnificent renaissance Royal staircase at Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola in Italy Designed by Italian mannerist architect Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola ( 1507-1573 ) The interesting fact that the building was initially conceived as a defensive structure until came Allesandro Farnese the younger ( 1520-1589 )

Carved in peperino, the volcanic stone typical of Tuscia, it wraps under a dome decorated with the Farnese coat of arms, between columns, frescoes and light.

The paintings are attributed to Antonio Tempesta, master of Mannerist frescoes. Built between 1559 and 1575, the Palazzo Farnese remains a jewel of Italian Mannerism.

Five floors, more than sixty rooms for the knights, and rooms that tell the story of the ambition of an era.

Among them, the superb Globe Room, where the painted maps reveal the world as it was known at the time. A fascinating place, where art, power and stone tell the story of Italy in all.

Photography: unknown copyright but posted on Architecture Hub.

11/14/2025

The Starfield Library in Seoul, South Korea - This library spans over 3 floors (from the 4th to 7th floor), with a height of 22 meters in total. The tall walls of book shelves filled with books serve as a pleasing sight and great background for many Insta-worthy shots.

11/12/2025

M.I. Bookstore in Harbin features a striking multi-story book tower that anchors the space like a tree. Combining wood, steel, and bold colors, the design blends modern structure with natural warmth. Visitors can follow a spiral path around the structure to reach upper levels, including a quiet reading room on the seventh floor and a plant-filled reading platform on the eighth, blending architecture, nature, and literature in a single immersive environment.

📍No. 640, Harbin Street, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China

Opening hours:
- Monday to Sunday: 9:30AM - 8:30PM

Photo Credit:

profoundly beautiful mythic photograph that brings tears to our eyes. Bravo Kenneth Mac
11/08/2025

profoundly beautiful mythic photograph that brings tears to our eyes.

Bravo Kenneth Mac

11/03/2025

😮 You’re looking at the first images from the 3.2-gigapixel camera at the heart of the Vera Rubin Observatory — and in one single frame, millions of galaxies were discovered.

Built atop Cerro Pachón in Chile, the massive LSST camera snapped these test observations over 10 hours — capturing swirls of nebulae, dense galaxy clusters and over 2,000 previously unknown asteroids.

With a field of view wider than seven full moons and enough resolution to map the Southern sky every few nights, this is not just an image — it’s the dawn of a 10-year cosmic time-lapse.

11/02/2025

The Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the world’s most breathtaking literary landmarks.

Built over 300 years ago, this magnificent library houses more than 200,000 of the university’s oldest books, including priceless manuscripts that chronicle centuries of human knowledge and creativity. Its Long Room, with towering oak shelves and marble busts of great thinkers, exudes an atmosphere of timeless wisdom.

Beyond its architectural grandeur, the library holds deep cultural and historical significance, preserving Ireland’s literary heritage and academic legacy. Among its most famous treasures is the Book of Kells, a masterpiece of medieval art.

Today, Trinity Library continues to inspire scholars, writers, and visitors alike a true symbol of Ireland’s devotion to learning and culture.

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San Rafael, CA
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Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 4:45pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm

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