▁upon ▁the ▁Northern ▁Hem is phere ▁seasons , ▁as ▁the ▁sun ▁( Sol ) ▁and ▁the ▁moon , ▁the ▁principal ▁bear ers ▁of ▁light ▁and ▁heat , ▁were ▁awarded ▁to ▁Leo ▁and ▁Can cer , ▁respectively , ▁since ▁the ▁months ▁the ▁sun ▁passed ▁through ▁these ▁signs ▁( in ▁ancient ▁times ) ▁were ▁the ▁warm est ▁and ▁had ▁the ▁longest ▁days . ▁ ▁Con vers ely , ▁Sat urn , ▁the ▁most ▁distant ▁( and ▁hence ▁the ▁" c old est ") ▁of ▁the ▁plan ets ▁known ▁to ▁anci ents , ▁was ▁accord ed ▁the ▁r ul ership ▁of ▁Aqu arius ▁and ▁Cap ric orn , ▁the ▁signs ▁opposite ▁Leo ▁and ▁Can cer , ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Jup iter , ▁being ▁next ▁far th est ▁away , ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁signs ▁on ▁either ▁side ▁of ▁Aqu arius ▁and ▁Cap ric orn ▁( P is ces ▁and ▁S ag itt arius ), ▁and ▁Mars , ▁next ▁in ▁order , ▁received ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁( A ries ▁and ▁Sc or pio ). ▁ ▁Since ▁Mercur y ▁never ▁appears ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁sign ▁from ▁the ▁sun ▁in ▁either ▁direction , ▁it ▁was ▁de emed ▁to ▁rule ▁the ▁two ▁signs ▁on ▁either ▁side ▁of ▁Leo ▁and ▁Can cer ▁( V ir go ▁and ▁Gem ini ), ▁and ▁since ▁Ven us ▁can ▁never ▁be ▁found ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁signs ▁from ▁the ▁Sun , ▁it ▁obtained ▁the ▁r ul ership ▁of ▁Lib ra ▁and ▁T aur us . ▁ ▁The ▁discovery ▁of ▁plan ets ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁ge oc ent