The Sirocco is a powerful, dusty wind originating from the Sahara that reaches hurricane speeds across North Africa and Southern Europe. It is also known as the qibli, by which name it is described in the film The English Patient.
In this way, love offers us the key to alchemy and the realization of our divine self. The poem, The Alchemy of Love by the Sufi mystic Rumi addresses just that:
Sufism is a branch of Islamic philosophy which emphasizes the mystical, spiritual dimension of the religion. Both Sufism and Rumi were strongly linked to the practice of alchemy.
The Copts were descendents of the ancient Egyptians and early adopters of Christianity. Today the term refers to all members of the Coptic Orthodox Church, including Ethiopians and Eritreans. There are over ten million Copts in Egypt, and another million in the USA.
Tiberius (42Bc-37AD) followed Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome. He was Octavian Augustus's step-son and became a brilliant general, with a series of great campaigns along the Northern Frontier. But his rule, from 14AD, was less successful. For the last 11 years of his life, he turned his back on Rome and withdrew to the island of Capri. He was succeeded by his adopted grandson, the infamous Caligula.
The Resurrection - Credit: Andrea Mantegna 
Sufi dancers at Rumi's Tomb - Credit: Intension
