Quince (Cydonia Vulgaris)

Powers: Happiness, Love, Protection

Quince is a member of the genus Cydonia and native to Asia in the Caucasus region. It’s a small, deciduous tree, growing 5–8 m tall and 4–6 m wide. Related to apples and pears, and like them has a pome fruit. When mature, it is bright golden yellow and pear-shaped, ranging about 7–12 cm long and 6–9 cm broad.

Quince is sacred in many cultures, the Greeks believed it to be sacred to Aphrodite, and Pliny the Elder recorded that it warded off the evil eye. The Roman counterpart to Aphrodite, Venus, is often shown holding a quince, it is said, it was given to her by Paris to show his love. This association was later transferred, in some areas, to Mary, mother ofJesus. In Pompeii, the quince was often found in artwork and tile mosaics, and frequently shown in a bear’s paw. The oldest record of it’s religious use is with Hebrews. Grieves believed it sacred to these peoples and writes in A Modern Herbal that many ”consider that the Tappuach of Scripture, always translated apple, was the Quince. It is also supposed to be the fruit alluded to in the Canticles, ‘I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste.’”

Photo by Public Domain Photos

Deities: Aphrodite, Venus

Element: Earth (Employment, Fertility, Healing, Money, Prosperity)

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Saturn (Endings, Exorcisms, Longevity, Visions)

Magical and Ritual Uses:

• Carry seven Quince seeds in a flannel bag, hang around your wrist to protect from harm.
• A desirable fruit to bring into a Handfasting, it has a history for blessing a union. It can be part of the feast and layered into the cake. The sprigs with flowers can be included in the ritual flowers. The sharing of the fruit before the Great Rite and removing the chord (once alone) would be appropriate to affirm the vows.
• Use quince to repel negative energy from others. When a target of other’s negative energy, spread Quince on your morning muffin to keep their negation from manifesting in your life.
• Quince is sacred to the bear to certain Romans. It you use a bear as your totem, keep a jar of quince preserves on hand.

Medicinal Uses:

• Quince is good for weight loss, being rich in fiber.
• It has antioxident properties, which helps the body fight free radicals and reduces the risk of cancer.
• It has been found, Quince is helpful to those suffering from gastric ulcer.
• Aids in digestion and helps lower cholesterol.
• The potassium in Quince helps maintain blood pressure.
• The presence of Vitamin C reduces the risk of heart disease.
• It is said it is beneficial for those suffering from tuberculosis,  hepatic insufficiency, diarrhea and dysentery.
• It is also beneficial to those suffering from liver diseases and eye diseases, if consumed on a regular basis.

Thanks for stopping by! Well wishes to you all, have a great day!

Lisa