French Botanical Watercolor Study of Raspberry Bramble
Watercolor, gouache on paper
18th century
9-1/4 x 7 inches (13 3/4 x 11 in frame) 
Stamp and notations at bottom from Collection Rougier, Paris, inscription indicates an attribution to Jean Francois Bony (c.1760 - c.1825).
 
By the Middle Ages raspberries were not simply consumed because they tasted good but were also used for other matters ranging from a dye to being made into a tonic for women's ailments. Germans felt that the raspberry cane could remove bewitchement from horses. 
 
Magically speaking, raspberries appear in numerous spells, rituals and charms for love, protection,
fertility, growth and adaptability. The flowers make a lovely spring feast for the eyes, but take care with the thorns. Nature often protects her greatest treasures in such ways. On the surface everything seems fine, but just below, there is another truth. 
 
That the raspberry is edible makes it doubly useful mystically. This way you can internalize the wonderful characteristics of the fruit. 
 
(With thanks to Bernadette King.)