From Leigh Blackmore (not an academic, but a magician and a lurker on this 
list):

A classic chapter on the Vinum Sabbati (so-called) appears in Kenneth and 
Steffi grant's "Carfax Monographs", originally published between March 1959 
and Oct 1963. The ten separat monographs, of which the one on the Vinum 
Sabbati was No 5, were printed in omnibus form as HIDDEN LORE by Skoob Books 
(1990). There has been a recent expanded (and expensive) reprint - 2005 I 
think.

Grant's explanation of the Vinumn Sabbati includes reflections on magical 
zoomorphisms, the Holy Grail, atavistic resurgence etc. How one takes his 
interpretation depends on how seriously one takes his magical knowledge 
overall, I suppose. It's well-known that his magical books draw on Arthur 
Machen (as well as HP Lovecraft), whom  he uses as exemplasr of the 
atavistic resurgence theory in fictional form.

Worth a look at this chapter if you are exploring this chapter.

I also know a witch locally (in Sydney) who uses "Vinum Sabbati" as a 
signoff/farewll in letters and emails - don't know the origin of his use of 
this.

Leigh Blackmore






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Khem Caigan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 6:37 AM
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Vinum Sabbati


> Harry Roth doth schreibble :
>>
>> Someone has asked me whether Vinum Sabbati is a creation of Edwardian
>> horror writers or actually is something used by witches to travel to
>> the Sabbat. I haven't found anything by that name except a mention in
>> Satanic stuff. I have found some recipes for wines that are used for
>> sabbatic purposes, but does anyone know of sources for recipes for
>> "Vinum Sabbati"? Thanks much.
>
> Eleusis 3/1999 -
> indice/contents
>
> CHRISTIAN RATSCH
> Dall'idromele dell'ispirazione
> allo spirito del vino: le bevande
> alcoliche nella medicina popolare,
> nella scienza medica e nella farmacologia
>
> From mead of inspiration to spirit of wine:
> alcoholic brews and folk medicine, medical
> science and pharmacology
> p. 3
>
> EXCERPT(s):
>
> FROM MEAD OF INSPIRATION TO SPIRIT OF WINE
> by Christian Ratsch
>
> Alcoholic beverages (mead, beer, wine, saki, etc.) were
> regarded by ancient civilizations as "the toast of the gods"
> and were taken during rituals to attain states of ebriety
> [L. ebrietas, from. ebrius intoxicated].
> They were also consumed for their nutritional and medicinal
> properties. According to ancient mythologies, alcoholic
> beverages were created by the gods, hence spread the idea
> that by consuming alcohol humankind was lead toward the
> gods; that through alcohol the drinker might even achieve
> illumination. ...
>
> For some, alcoholic beverages are paradise (or at least a
> key to paradise, or a pointer in its direction). For others,
> 'demon drink' is a scourge, an addictive drug. Some see
> alcohol as a substance endowed with divine powers. For
> others it is the agent of diabolic corruption. One man's
> medicine is another man's poison. Some consider alcohol to
> be a serious health risk while others venerate it as an
> "elixir of longevity." Obviously, they are all right.
> Alcohol is like all other drugs in this respect: the effect
> is determined mainly by dosage, the personal state of the
> consumer (set) and the context (setting). In ancient
> literature we find references to the paramount importance of
> dosage: "From the vine hang three bunches of grapes. The
> first produces desire. The second inebriates. The third
> leads to crime." (EPICTETUS). (pages 3 - 4)
>
> ALCOHOL AND PHARMACOLOGY
>
> ... As a rule, ancient literature makes no distinction
> between mead and beer. This is because honey was often mixed
> with malt to prepare alcoholic beverages. Mead was probably
> invented during the Stone Age. There is much evidence for
> this in various parts of the world.
>
> Mead was a beverage sacred to all ancient pagan
> civilizations and was used as a ritual libation or for
> collective ebriety. All Indo-Germanic peoples were familiar
> with mead, the use of which in ancient time was primarily
> medicinal ... (page 4)
>
> The Germanic peoples considered mead "refreshments for the
> gods," a font of delirium and of poetic and prophetic
> inspiration. This honey-based preparation was consecrated in
> the name of the gods Odin/Wotan and Balder. In areas
> dominated by Germanic culture, the flavor of mead was
> improved by the addition of fruit-juices such as sorb
> (Filipendula ulmaria [L.] Maxim., sin. Spirea filipendula
> L.) or crab-apple. ... (page 5)
>
> THE "REAL PILSNER"
>
> ... Originally, beer was a ritual beverage in all parts of
> the world. Its consumption was a part of shamanic practices
> or religious ceremonies to venerate the gods (libation
> facilitating contact with the "other"). On the whole, beers
> of this kind also included psychoactive plants. More than 50
> known psychoactive plants have been added to beer at some
> stage in various parts of the world. These beers were
> consecrated to gods and goddesses (e.g., Thor,
> Dionysus/Bacchus, Hathor, Bhairab/Shiva, Isis). The
> mandrake-beer of the Egyptians is a famous example. We may
> also mention maize-beer (chica) fortified with Datura seeds,
> and drunk by the South American indios and the "real
> Pilsner," the henbane-based Germanic beer: as tradition
> rightly informs us, "this beer makes you thirstier!". (page 6)
>
> THE WINE OF DIONYSUS
> ... Wine presses were invented in various parts of the
> world. All wines are efficacious solvents for other
> pharmacologically-active ingredients, and wines have been
> used for the extraction of aromatic herbs since time immemorial.
>
> The grapevine was originally Asian and was used at the dawn
> of history for the production of inebriating wines. In 1990,
> clay-vessels were discovered at Godin Tepe in Iran. These
> were definitely used for wine-drinking, as revealed by
> chemical analysis. These extraordinary finds date to
> 3500-2900 BC and are the oldest proofs of wine-drinking to
> date. (page 7)
>
> ALCOHOL IN SHAMANIC RITES
>
> It appears that shamans have always used fermented beverages
> as narcotics, libations and medicines (even without
> additives). It may be presumed that the 'wine god' -
> Dionysus - was originally a shaman and that he and his
> followers used the wine produced by grape-pressing as a
> means to enter a state of trance. However, the 'wine of
> Dionysus' contained special 'flowers' which endowed this
> wine with highly inebriating or other properties. Thus, the
> true secret inebriating substance used by Dionysus may
> indeed have been fly-agaric macerated in wine. Fly-agaric is
> a shamanic drug used all over the world. (page 17)
>
> THE MAGIC SPIRIT OF THE INDIOS
>
> All over the world, alcoholic beverages are used by shamans
> to 'bribe' spirits, demons and deities. The Tibetans place
> millet-beer (chhang) at the threshold of the dwelling-places
> of demons. In Japan, tengu, the elfin spirits residing in
> fly-agarics are appeased by offerings of sake. The Javut
> shamans pour spirits onto fire. Spirits are offered to Mama
> Coca and the mountain spirits on cairns in the high mountain
> passes of the Andes. The nahualli (Nahua shamans) offer
> aguardiente or yolixpa to the 'soul eaters' in great
> quantities to get them drunk so that they can overcome them
> and defeat them. (pages 20 - 21)
>
> http://tinyurl.com/yp2x9k
>
> You will also find the term 'Vinum Sabbati' in the writings
> of Kenneth Grant, where it is applied to the sacramental
> ingestion of sexual secretions, and in the writings of Peter
> Redgrove, where it is also applied to the sacramental
> ingestion of urine following the acts of sex and/or sleep.
>
> Cors in Manu Domine,
>
>
> ~ Khem Caigan
> <[log in to unmask]>
>
> " Sabbath Wine is the Wine of Communion, and
> Going to the Sabbat, the 'Travel' or 'Trip',
> is a Return from Exile, a Return to the
> Community of Celebrants. "