quince
“Did you know … quinces hold diverse symbolic meanings across cultures; they are commonly associated with love and romance, symbolising the enduring sweetness of relationships. Additionally, quinces represent fertility and abundance, often bestowed as wishes for prosperity to newlyweds. The fruit’s duality, starting tart but turning sweet when cooked, is linked to patience and temperance. Symbolic of forbidden fruit in some stories, quinces also embody beauty and seduction due to their enticing fragrance. With healing properties in traditional medicine, quinces can symbolise health and protection against negative energies… We got given a whole box of these yellow fragrant fruit just before Christmas, some of which went spectacularly mouldy. Given all the symbolism listed above, I’d suggest a mouldy quince has something to say about the inevitability of certain disappointments…” January 2024
