Ath-thuwr is the ‘arabic name for Taurus, the second astrological sign of the zodiac. The progression through the houses is represented counter-clockwise starting at what we know as 9pm on a clock. This actually represents the Eastern horizon, where the Sun rises for us Earth dwellers. The houses of the Sun’s ecliptic, also known as the zodiac, are really composed of constellations of fixed stars. They appear to be setting in the East as we rotate the Sun, thus represented in a counter-clockwise fashion. An esoteric interpretation is that while the descent of the soul toward Earth can be represented as we understand it to be on a clock, its return to its origin, or its ascent, is a movement in the opposite direction.
The bull is sacred in a number of traditions. Due to a phenomena known as the Procession of the Equinox, the constellations are slowly shifting so that the vernal equinox, or spring, never remains in the same place. During the age of Mesopotamia, the first day of spring occurred during Taurus, not Aries - a time known as the Age of Taurus. The bull is associated with the Earth, perhaps given its role in agriculture; it is the first of the earth signs, sharing this element with Virgo and Capricorn which form a triangular relationship. Taurus is also a fixed sign, which means that it is rather stubborn, prone to fight sternly for what they believe in, dedicated to its cause. It shares this characteristic with Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.
In the astrological diagrams of the late Sufi Haydar Amuli, Taurus is associated with a Qur’anic verse that immediately follows that of Aries. From Sura Saffat (37) which literally means “those who set the Ranks”, the verse can be translated as “those who recite the Remembrance.” The first word, taliyati is the active participle of the verb tala’, which means to recite. “Dhikran” , which comes from the verb “Dhikr” is every Sufi’s favorite activity - it denotes the remembrance of Allah. It takes many forms, vocal (zahiri) or silent from the heart (batini), and can generally be thought of as functioning as a mantra. The repetition via invocation must be, in a way, stubborn - it is not about expecting results and certainly not for the faint hearted. One must continuously submit to the remembrance, keeping His name at the tip of your tongue, sometimes aligned with breathwork, for others autonomously in rhythm with your heart beat. Dhikr, unlike prayer (namaz) or supplication (du’a), is really a personal struggle, even if performed in communion. According to Amuli, it's the Taurean strength and determination that can bring about this persistence to remember our Origin.