Jin Chan: Money Toad

Jin Chan (also known as Chan Chu) is a greedy three-legged toad with a gold coin in her mouth that will help draw wealth into your life. Under the principles of feng shui, which govern the placement of items in the home to harmonize energy, Jin Chan emerges as a revered symbol of affluence and good fortune. Money toads are traditionally portrayed with red eyes and flared nostrils and are seated on top of a pile of traditional Chinese cash. They are available in a variety of material ranging from resin and wood to crystal and jade.

If you invite Jin Chan into your home, make sure that she faces inward so that she draws money into the home. To harness the full potential of this auspicious amphibian, feng shui experts advise placing a Jin Chan statue on a table or ledge in the “lucky corner” of a room, which is typically the corner diagonally opposite the entrance. However, there are certain taboos to heed. The Jin Chan should never face outward (i.e. directly opposite the door), as it would symbolize wealth leaving the space, and she should never be placed on the floor. Jin Chan must be activated by placing a red ribbon around her or placing her on red paper.

Jin Chan’ serves not only as a guardian of wealth but also as a reminder of the enduring wisdom of ancient traditions. If you’re looking to incorporate a money toad into your life, remember to place it thoughtfully and with intention, to invite the flow of abundance into your realm.

Frogs as Harbingers of Good Fortune

Frogs are associated with good luck and good fortune in many cultures. In ancient Rome, the frog was associated with Aphrodite and was a symbol of fertility and abundance. In Japan, travelers often carry a frog amulet with them to ensure safe travels. Panamanian golden frogs are said to be harbingers of good fortune who transform into gold upon death. And in Latin America more generally, a popular nursery rhyme invokes a frog with magical healing powers to help children with minor injuries (“Sana, sana, colita de rana. Si no sana hoy, sanará mañana”), usually in combination with Vicks vapor rub.

Frogs symbolize transformation because of the physical changes they undergo as they mature into adulthood, and the appearance of a frog can signal change in one’s life. In the classic fairy tale by the Brothers’ Grimm, the Frog Prince transforms from a frog into a man. Similarly, Native American Haida shamans of the Pacific Northwest were said to acquire their healing powers from frogs.

Because they live around water, frogs are associated with cleansing, resurrection, fertility and abundance. The Egyptian goddess of embryonic waters, Heqet, was represented in the form of a frog, and frogs were a popular motif for faience amulets in ancient Egypt.

The card for the “frog” (shown below) in Wills’s Cigarettes “lucky charms” series explains: “This is an old Roman amulet, but the charm dates to prehistoric times. The frog was the emblem of Hegt, the Egyptian goddess of abundance, fruitfulness and plenty. From Egypt, these myths spread, and similar goddesses were worshipped under different names — Ishtar in Assyria, Belit in Babylon, Al-ilat in Arabia, Aphrodite in Greece, Venus in Rome, &c., &c. The Frog, cut in amber, is a popular talisman. In Italy, Greece and Turkey, it is still worn to bring good health, prosperity, and abundance of all the good things of this earth.”