Place a clean moonstone into a clear glass bottle. Fill the bottle with equal parts of spring water or distilled water and an appropriate alcoholic beverage. The alcoholic beverage must be clear or amber colored and about 80 proof alcoholic content.
Seal the bottle tightly and leave it to sit in the moonlight for two nights--five hours the first night and four hours the second.
This lunar charged elixir is excellent for dreams, astral projection and spirit work. In magic, feldspar, or moonstone specifically draws the aid of the 28 spirits of the moon as well as guarantees the favor of the Moon Goddess.
Use in the evening before going to sleep. Annoint the appropriate centers and ingest one 6-ounce glassfull.
Myth's notes
This "lunar elixir" was some of the typed up "traditional material" given to me in my BOS in 1984. There is a legendary power attributed to moonstones. Allegedly a person who places a moonstone in her or his mouth during a full moon will be able to see the future. It's possible that the recipe for this elixir is related to that legendary power.
If you read my section, "Traditional" Knowledge About Sea Magic, you will note I briefly discuss how that material entered mainstream Wicca via Raven Grimassi. My best guess is one of the coveners in the group I first studied with was either in contact with in contact with one of Grimassi's coveners in the early 1980's or read Grimassi's The Book of the Holy Strega (1981) or The Book of Ways, Vols. I & II (1982).
In 2005, I had the pleasure of hearing Raven Grimassi speak at a bookstore about his card deck created with Stephanie Taylor (2005). I picked up several of his books, including Wiccan Magick (1998). In Wiccan Magick, he had a section called Mineral Condensers and Elixirs, which is in Chapter 4, Mineral Magick. He opened this section with:
This simple method is used to charge a liquid substance with the properties of any given gem. These liquids could be ingested or applied externally, depending on the substance and its purpose.Grimassi then gave two examples of elixirs, one which used an amethyst and one which used a moonstone. The phraseology in the creation of the elixir with the moonstone is very similar to the phraseology of the Lunar Elixir--except in the original hand-typed photocopied version it was spelled, "elixer." I suspect this is something else taken from The Book of the Holy Strega (1981) or perhaps from another book mentioned in "Other Books": The Book of Ways, Vols. I & II (1982). I have seen neither of these books and they were not in my high priestess's personal library.
(p. 59)
In any case, I don't know of anyone who mixed up this elixir while I was in this coven. A great deal of information was passed to us as general background information as well as examples of what other Witches did.
I must admit, when I first read the description of the Lunar Elixir back in 1984, it sparked some humorous comments between me and my spouse which revolved around Kentucky moonshine and not swallowing the moonstone rock. A friend of mine once speculated that this ritual was supposed to be used as the final step in blessing a homemade tincture, which was intended to be imbibed.
I now speculate that the alcoholic beverage was originally supposed to be the amber colored Strega Liquore. If so, Grimassi makes no mention of Strega Liquore in Wiccan Magick. Nevertheless, when I was able to acquire another bottle of Strega Liquore, I dutifully mixed the Lunar Elixer using a moonstone, springwater, and Strega Liquore, setting it beneath the rays of the January moon for the prescribed time. I'm not sure if I received any useful prophecy, but I did have a vivid dream: the meaning of which I am still pondering.
Judika Illes, in The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, wrote, "Strega is a steam distilled liqueur crafted from approximately 70 herbs, barks, roots, and spices. Its yellow color is obtained from saffron, which has an ancient reputation as a magical aphrodisiac." (p. 524) According to legend, Strega is based on an ancient witchcraft love potion. Strega has been produced in Benevento, Italy since 1860. Giuseppe Alberti, a liqueur manufacturer, either got the recipe from local monks or the local streghe. Or perhaps the monks got it from the streghe. It is also possible that Alberti just came up with a catchy name for his delicious amber colored liqueur.
Judika Illes continues: "Whether Strega was developed by witches or not, the liqueur has been incorporated into modern witchcraft traditions. It is an appropriate and popular offering to the Italian witch goddess, Diana." (p. 524) Illes explains that the drink may be offered as a libation or as a flame offering. In 2003, I offered some in a Samhain Feast for the Dead ritual fire. Illes states that typically offerings to Diana involve pouring a small quantity--no higher than a quarter full--into a flame-proof bowl and setting it alight. While watching the burning flames, you may toast Diana with a cup of your own.
I can attest from my offering in the ritual fire Strega is highly flammable. Handle with care.