- Bitter Endings to an Affair
- Deterioration of Health
Sin of woman, downfall of man. Religious connections to Adam and Eve and a representative of knowledge both forbidden and sacred. This means it can also represent female liberation, independent thought, spiritual soul searching and self discovery. Also symbolic of the relationship between humans and nature, and the inherited desire to survive, as well as the ability to sustain off the land. Apples versatility make them good metaphors for adaptability, while the trees remind us that good things are bound to come with hard work and patience. Going back to knowledge apples are also a symbol of teaching, guidance and the cultivation of the next generation. Since apples are found in most cultures, and the trees bare fruit for generations, they can also be a nod to heritage.
Phallic symbol. Strong sexual desire. Can also represent humor and happiness due to their yellow color as well as their history being used as a comedic prop (banana peel); sometimes a suggestion to laugh at yourself. Bananas can represent the odd and strange as well as the surreal. There is a dark side to this symbol however. Bananas can represent male entitlement and patriarchy. Their historical ties to politics and business can elude to racial oppression, political strife, blatant consumerism and greed; as well as plain insanity or chaos.
Blackberries are strange in that they can represent both beauty and ugliness, sometimes separately- and sometimes simultaneously. The deep color of the blackberry has been used to represent the blood of saints and martyrs, and therefore can elude to a necessary sacrafice, heavy responsibilities, or even trial and tribulation. On the flipside, martyrdom can also elude to scapegoating, unnecessary stress or spreading oneself too thin. Despite their connection with the sacred, blackberries can also be a symbol of the devil and may hold connotations of temptation, arrogance and empty promises. In this sense, depending on one's view point, they can also be bad omens, symbols of bad luck and even curses.
Blueberries are representative of comfort, wholesome memories and warmth. Since blueberries are often portrayed in rural dishes, a blueberry can represent traditional values, family, and connectivity with nature. Blueberries often hint at nostalgia or yearning for a time since passed. There is a bitterness to blueberries however, and their appearance can sometimes elude to things appearing better than they actually are. Blueberries can sometimes act as a lesson to look again and be discerning of certain situations, opportunities or promises.
Representative of virginity, youth and purity the plucking, or destruction of a cherry in one's dreams can be a metaphor of loss of innocence, growing up, or sexual liberation. With their pit found directly in the center, and their juice being a deep red, cherries can represent both the beginning and end of a life- and therefore signify the start or closing of a chapter in one's life. Cherries can also act as a reminder to count one's blessings in life as they are sweet and have connections to the Christian idea of paradise.
Seen around the harvesting season, cranberries often hold connotations of abundance. They also have strong links to themes of family and comfort. Being native to the North Americas, cranberries can act as a symbol for American wilderness and nature. For the untameable.
Figs have connotations in both past and modern cultures. The fig, just as with the apple, is a symbol for the fall of man, and therefore shares similar meanings of knowledge and temptation. However, unlike the apple, the fig also is a symbol for modesty as Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. In literature figs have been used to represent ulterior motives and false pretenses, as seen in Shakespeare; as well as impropriety, ill wishes and ill regard. Figs have been used as a symbol of sex and, more specifically, vaginas throughout history.
Grapes allude to abundance and material wealth, especially when seen in a vineyard. They are also associated with political power, as seen in images where someone of great social stature is being fed grapes, as well as wrath. Since grapes are made into wine, they can also be a symbolism of frivolity, celebration and hedonism. Unless, that is, one were to take this symbol at a Catholic approach- in which case wine (and the grape) is the symbol of the blood of Christ and deep spirituality.
Symbol of luxury and wealth. The old world perception of lemons held them up as exotic and strange, thus making them a symbol of unexplored lands; of travel and international commerce. Due to their connections to wealth, lemons are also a representation of economics. A peeled lemon can offer a lesson in these things, and can warn of pride and the dangers of materialism. Peeled lemons can also symbolize fleeting joy and pleasure, as well act as a memento mori. Due to this connection to death, lemons can also represent bitterness, sourness and disappointment.
Though mangos do not hold a lot of symbolism in western culture, they have a high place in eastern symbolism. Mangos are symbols of spirituality and higher thinking, once desired by Ganesh as a source of knowledge as well as the supposed meeting place for Buddha and his followers. Mangos are also symbols of sexual desire, lust, love and fertility, as well as royalty and wealth. It should also be said, there is folklore stating mango trees have the abiltiy to grant wishes.
Peaches are symbols of immortality and youth. Good health, especially female health are suggested by the appearance of this fruit. Peaches also allude to female sexuality, the female body, as well as sweet and wholesome dispositions. Peaches are also connected to country living and are representations of down to earth thinking and humble a attitude. In Chinese culture, peaches and peach trees are said to be able to ward off demons, or may be utilized to ward of evil.
Plums share many of the same meanings as peaches in terms of being a protection against evil, and an object of desire. However plums are more a symbol of general temptation and impulse. Plums also represent the coming of spring, and thus overcoming adversity.
Pomegranates are interesting in that they often represent beauty that can be found in darkness. In the story of Persephone and Hades, Persephone is enchanted by the fruit and it is sometimes portrayed as the reason she returns to the underworld, because of this pomegranates are also a symbol of loyalty. The story of Persephone also makes the pomegranate a symbol of time, and the passing of the seasons. They can also allude to friendships, childhood innocence and purity. Pomegranates have been identified as symbols of passion and young love. Biblically they have been used to represent success, goodness and wisdom.
Raspberries are berries protected by thorns, which can be seen both as a warning of appearances or a metaphor for overcoming obstacles. In Christianity they are symbols of kindness and, in medieval times, were often used as an ingredient in love spells; thus making them a symbol for unspoken feelings, or desires.
Due to its heart shape and red coloring, the strawberry is a symbol of true love, understanding and friendship. Due to their connection to love, strawberries can also be seen as a calling card for Venus, the goddess of love. They are symbols of perfection, purity and virtue dating as far back as medieval times. In modern culture strawberries have been used as symbols of goodness and simple pleasures, as well as harmony with nature.
Due to its modern connection with childhood memories and summer, the watermelon is a symbol of growing up and nostalgia. It can also be a symbol of taking the bad with the good, as in order to enjoy a watermelon you must spit out the seeds. The seeds also can serve as a warning to be cautious while enjoying a good thing. Unfortunately, it must be said that watermelons (particularly in American culture) can be a representation of racism, harmful stereotypes, generational trauma and oppression.
