Why You Should Keep Chinese Coins In Your Home, According To Feng Shui
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese style of arrangement that seeks balance inwards and outwards. It is helpful in guiding towards harmony in the various aspects of life. Feng shui can be achieved in the home by keeping it clean and having simple décor and natural light. It also concerns the intentional positioning of certain things, like the entrance to the home and mirrors, in ways to attract good energy.
Chinese feng shui coins are another item that can be placed strategically in the home. Also known as i-ching coins, they are round in shape with square holes in the center and inscribed with Chinese characters. The roundness represents heaven, while the square represents the Earth; the two sides of the coin are yin and yang (via Feng Shui Store). They are usually tied with red ribbons and kept wherever the money is kept in the home. Here's why you should observe this feng shui custom of keeping Chinese coins in your home.
The meaning
Chinese coins are thought to attract wealth and prosperity to the home. The combination of heaven and Earth represents the attraction of positive energy from both sides. It is customary to keep them in the area of wealth, usually the far left or right corner of the home. They can also be placed at the main entrance since that's how energy flows in, per Feng Shui Beginner. According to Feng Shui Tricks, the yang side containing four characters should always face up.
Different coins have different meanings on them. Some have messages that translate to "forever prosperous" to secure the wealth that you already have or "peace on Earth" to attract luck to the home. The ribbons can also be tied in different ways to communicate different meanings to the coins (via UCI Department of Anthropology). Offering these coins during special occasions is another way to attract luck as it benefits both the giver and the recipient, according to feng shui.
How to do it right
There are different meanings attached to the number of Chinese coins that you keep in your home. The custom is to tie them together in the red ribbon in groups of at least two so that one coin isn't alone. Two coins means quick money; three symbolizes a trinity of prosperity; six symbolizes heavenly luck; seven stands for a certainty that money will come; eight represents prosperity; nine coins symbolizes an endless influx of money. Avoid having four or five coins as they are unlucky (via Feng Shui Store).
In addition to placing them around the front door or hanging them up, Chinese coins can be kept around your workspace and added to your home office desk. Magic Bricks says to cleanse the coins first if you get antique ones that others have used. You can also combine them with other symbols, like the money frog, for added luck and prosperity.