The Samudra Manthan was the churning of the milky ocean for the quarreling devas and asuras to bring to the surface the nectar of immortality (amrita) to share it among themselves. Often the modern retellings of mythology portray the asuras as bad and devas as good but the allegory dictated how our minds are celestial oceans and it is up to us to accept the objects that appear out of the concentrations of our minds. There were 14 ratnas/treasures that arose from the ocean in pairs such as Lakshmi- Alakshmi, halahal-amrit, etc. Varuni (Goddess of wine) and Dhanvantri (God of medicine and Ayurveda) are the twins that arose from the cosmic waters and represented the same principle in different forms of sattva and rajas. When we use alcohol as medication we cure ourselves and lengthen our lifespan whereas alcohol when excessively used to gain pleasure and to escape consciousness shortens the lifespan and leaves your goals unfinished hence repeating the cycle of life. In the Samudra Manthan, Varuni was accepted by the Asuras through the grace of Shri Vishnu, however, she was also loved by the devatas (especially Indra) due to her ability to bring rapid energy and change which was useful in wars and many devis and devatas would consume liquor before they set out to conquer their enemies in the battlefield. When in small quantities, alcohol can make us feel powerful and be a 'truth' serum that brings forth our true animalistic nature.
In Matsya Purana, Varuni is known as the shakti (power) of Varuna who rules over the night sky and the vast ocean and he is also known as the deity of Shatabhisha nakshatra which is the star of 100 healers. Varuna as the ruler of the last Rahu nakshatra Shatabhisha rules over the seemingly endless night sky and his Shakti Varuni brings the secrets of the Brahaman to the native through her ability to put people to sleep from the state of the illusory consciousness and makes them realize the vastness outside the hubris. Another name for Varuni is Madira or Madya which means someone who is in a transitory stage and it is also said in the Manthana Bhairava Tantra that she is the direct potent energy of time (Kala) who pleases Lord Shiva and is the true spiritual liquor showing her ability to transcend the bounds that come when approaching an adept like Lord Shiva. Varuni is also described as the destroyer of darkness for She killed the demon Andhakasur who wanted to darken the world and drank his blood making her an embodiment of the unconscious life force. Varuni when with her consort is medicinal and controlled making her useful to fulfill the aim of Varuna as he used to be the judge in the court of heaven in the Rigvedic period; through the help of Varuni Devi, we learn discernment by accessing our past, present and future within the realm of dreams or while having psychedelic experiences that help us 'see clearly' through symbols. When one does spiritual practices, meditates, and recites mantras that give them the intelligence of their Ishta Devi/Devata, their understanding of their dreams and drug-induced experiences becomes richer and they also can learn to be more in control of their astral body which can lead to lucid dreaming, creating an astral twin to absorb negative energies, etc. If one doesn't have a solid foundation doing shadow work and working with Ketu, dreams, and drugs can be meaningless to them and dangerous. Shatabhisha nakshatra's yoni consort is Ashwini which is known as the star of transportation. The beautiful and illusory world of dreams is indeed provided by Shatabhisha's powers but the true transportation to the creative use of the dreams happens in Ashwini as the star represents rejuvenation and bringing prana (breath of life) for it is the first lunar mansion, the birth of humanity.
Dreaming is not just the reproduction of past waking experiences but also the liminal space in which we identify our unconscious desires and the dormant part of ourselves (anima/animus) that moves through us. If the waking state is illusory, the dreaming state is an amalgamation of illusion and the endless cosmos which makes it magical, and a combination of both Rahu and Ketu which makes those planets complete again. It is essential to every occult tradition to master the realm of dreams and navigate it effectively because 9 places away from the 12th house is the 8th house which represents that proficiency in the occult realm is achieved
through understanding the 12th house of dreams, solitude, renunciation, etc. The relationship between the lords of these houses will show up frequently in your dreams (e.g. if Venus and Mercury are the rulers of your 8th and 12th house, you can frequently dream of people giving you gifts, if Rahu influences these houses, you can experience flying very frequently, etc.) and you will be able to understand your spiritual purpose and the way the world works around you more deeply. Useless symbolism won't be useless anymore and you will strengthen the ability to transcend cycles of pain and pleasure that are caused due to the losses and gains in life. Dreams are protective because of the height of Rahu in a Saturn Rashi matures and become the spiritual guide that shows you your potential which is why Shatabhisha natives are the pioneers of their fields and secure their positions (2nd to Dhanishta nakshatra) strongly. In the highest of initiations in Tantra, a disciple is asked to dream with their teacher as they share the same consciousness and the test is to turn the dream object that was previously not known into material reality. This ability of Varuni to show through symbols when uncontrolled becomes degenerative and causes a person to fall off their path and descent into hedonism and rebelling without a proper cause easily. The anatomy of dreams is such that it requires one to master their Rashi lord Saturn (or Varuna as the deity) through discipline and by putting themselves through spiritual tests frequently (through the eliminatory nature of Ketu) to map progress in their soul's path.
The dream that wanders in the daylight does not fade but instead makes daylight all the more luminous; it shines into the hidden corners of waking life to show us shadows brighter than the light.
-Wendy Doniger
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