Volume I
Air element. The flower, astrobotanics, remeidies and cosmetics in connection with the rhythms of nature

Author: Ana Gayoso
Illustrator: Alberto Miralta
Photographer: Juan Castro

The cycle of life traditionally begins with the awakening of spring. This is what happened with this book, which was born on these dates.
For this reason, and because my intention with it is to try to reconnect with these rhythms, I will try to bring you closer to nature with a different vision, to feel how it beats and how it breathes, how every moment of the year has something wonderful to offer us.
From this connection with nature and its rhythms this journey develops, in a walk through each element and sign of the zodiac and its celebration that offers us its blessings in the form of plants, food, remedies and cosmetics.
This work is structured in four books, one for each element of the year. Each one is linked to their zodiac signs, their rituals and specific qualities that invite us to carry out a series of processes that, in some cases, can only be carried out at that time of the year.
Each element contains three zodiac signs, and in each one we will learn to prepare different remedies and cosmetics using the plants of the moment, as well as delicious cooking recipes.
We will delve into the depths of each element to discover the plants in our environment, which not by chance bloom on these dates. We will learn to harvest them at the right time and from a different perspective than to transform them into remedies, cosmetics and medicines.
In this book we will focus on the Air element, allowing ourselves to be seduced by its volatility and enjoying ourselves as we flutter through its signs. In the first chapter, Sun in Aries, we will introduce the most basic concepts of spagyria, we will prepare a ritual to celebrate Ostara and the spring equinox. Afterwards, we will delve deeper into the preparation and ingredients of our cosmetic bases, going through the different methods of extracting the active ingredients from plants, distillations, tinctures, herbal teas and oleomacerates.
In the second chapter, Sun in Taurus, we will prepare a fertility ritual to honor Beltane. It is the time of aromas, so under this sign we will learn to prepare perfumes, colognes and other aromatic formulas, which we will see both in their cosmetic form and for healing and magical purposes. We will stop at the extraction processes of essential oils and essences, in addition to giving a more spagyric vision of them, classifying them according to their element and their strengths.
With the Sun in Gemini, in the third chapter, we will make an ode to plants: how and when to collect them astrologically, following the cycles of the Moon to enhance their properties, and how to process them for their correct conservation. We will learn to see its strengths, which will give us clues about its possible uses. We will sign them and know the zodiacal climates in our body. Also, at a more scientific level, we will focus on the active ingredients of plants and their solubility in different menstruations.
Each chapter, each sign, will go hand in hand with some protagonist plants, connection rituals with each opportune astrological moment and delicious recipes with seasonal plants, vegetables and herbs, traditional recipes from our land to nourish us inside and out.
From the Lilac Garden our intention is to share what we have learned, and that for all those who are starting out or who consult it, they will find here a tool that allows them to be a little more self-sufficient every day.