2,000 Greater & Lesser Mysteries

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THE RPSTOVAL REVIEW ISSUE #3 APRIL\MAY 1991 $1.50 U.S. ***************************************************************** NOTES FROM THE PUBLISHER Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Since the last issue the world has experienced causes for great sorrow and great happiness; The War in The Gulf. It may surprise those of you that knows us personally that The RPSTOVAL review appears to have avoided the issue of the war. The reason for this are quite simple: EVERYBODY has covered the war, most have given us the typical government censored propaganda about the "surgical bombing", and the atrocities committed by the other side. As a result of this media brain-wash speaking against the war is seen as a heresy committed by throw-backs from the 60's by most of the television intoxicated populace. When we hear of an Israeli building being destroyed by a S.C.U.D. missile the media tried to outrage us into fanatical patriotism, while they said nothing of the innocent women and children who were being killed by the coalition in Iraq. I got the impression that "it's O.K. to kill Arabs", and in our schools the teachers had to deal with the tears shed by the little innocent children who could not grasp a situation so severe that required ending another humans life. And they call this "The Aeon of The Child"?!?! The most humane form of warfare is assassination; sounds shocking? does this statement make me any less of a peace loving human being because I believe the individual should be held responsible for his crimes and actions instead of everyone who lives in the country with him? It's not like our government in their infinite wisdom didn't think about assassination; but perhaps IT felt that it would be "advantageous" to make a big deal of it instead. The reason I have said so very little about the war is because I personally am disgusted by the censorship, the propaganda, and the way the people have believed EVERYTHING we have been told about it. I am disgusted by the way the populace has justified killing for oil, strategic placement, and political favoritism. I realize that an argument could be made about the Thelemic interpretation of the war according to The Book of The Law; but I will not impose my assessment of our Holiest of Holies on anyone. This MUST be left to the student to discover for themselves. One must be free to search for the Truth on their own, but to NOT search for Truth is not only a crime against one's self, but also to those who come after them. Love is the law, love under will. Secundus Kerub Editor *** BELIEVE IT OR NOT! The following information was retrieved from an article in The Daily News called "Feel-good potential bars alternatives to oil, paper", written by David Norris. Did you know that before the 20th century, 80 percent of all textiles and fabrics were made from Hemp? Hence; the name "Canvas" comes from the word "Cannabis". Nowadays, we have to use more than half the world's pesticides so we can grow cotton instead. In 1916 the Department of Agriculture contrived a way to make paper from the pulpy part of the Marijuana plant. 70 percent of the world's paper supply was made from Hemp until 1883. It is estimated that an acre of Hemp could yield four times as much pulp as an acre of trees. Making paper from hemp would reduce the amount of chemicals needed in the paper manufacturing process by 85 percent. The magazine "Popular Science" anticipated a billion dollar Hemp market, but in 1937 Marijuana was criminalized. Almost one half of the trees in the world have been cut down since then to make paper. In August of 1989 e.v. businessman John Birrenbach requested a license to harvest wild Hemp. While Minnesota law allows such cultivation for commercial application, the Department of Agriculture denied his request adding that in intends "to ask for repeal of this section of law because we do not feel it is either necessary or in the best interest of agriculture". Despite of the fact that Marijuana would provide a new economy by allowing the American farmer to reap the benefits of harvesting the Hemp, or that trees are quickly becoming endangered species, or that the toxic material used in the cotton and paper industries are making our water undrinkable, the same politicians who used the same techniques to turn the American people against marijuana as Hitler applied to turn the German against the Jew will not allow the decriminalization of Marijuana simply because it has the potential of making us feel good. **** CHURCH AND STATE Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Should government allow congress to make decisions based upon any religious moral structure even if the outcome defies the basic freedoms guaranteed to us by the Constitution, the laws of reason and common sense? Can the state impose those decisions upon ALL of its citizens if ONE of those human beings does not embrace or endorse the ethical code upon which the decision was made? Those are the questions running through the minds of at least SOME of the women and men in Utah this moment. Ninety percent of Utah's Senate is made up Mormons, while the Mormon population in the state is seventy percent. For this reason the anti-abortion bill passed overwhelmingly (23 to 5 in admiration of the bill). Utah's Governor Norm Bangerter said that he would sign the bill tout de suite. The bill allows women to have abortions only when there is mortal danger to the mother, and when there is a severe deformality in the fetus. The bill also permits fetal termination when there has been a rape, or in cases of incest AS LONG AS IT IS REPORTED TO THE AUTHORITIES. Perhaps our prayers can change this apparent stumbling block into a blessing. Since women will have no other choice than to report sexual crimes such as rape and incest, possibly our judicial system will be forced to change their attitude towards rape victims. Maybe rape victims will finally get the treatment they deserve, instead of being treated as the reason for the crime. What do you think? Love is the law, love under will. Secundus Kerub ***** ECOTIP: COMPOSTING Under normal circumstances Nature regenerates the Earth using the cycles of the seasons. Plants and trees get their sustenance from minerals and nutrients within the soil, and they return what they use by shedding their leaves. When the leaves rot they release nutrients which are absorbed back into the soil for future use. It is a glorious cycle; the things humans could learn from Nature! People in the cities like to have "pretty" gardens and lawns which look like golf courses, and for that reason the plant waste is collected before it has a chance to decompose. It is raked up and put into plastic bags to further choke up our landfills. As the years go by the plants people grow take nourishment from the soil but are not allowed to give anything back, soon the soil has become worthless, incapable of sustaining plant life. Now the grower must rely on commercial fertilizers and chemicals to keep the garden alive. I'm not suggesting people let their gardens go; there is a way you can have your cake and eat it too. The way that we can help return life to the soil is by composting. When you say "compost" people automatically envision a huge, smelly, piece of crap in the middle of the yard. This is not so. Composting takes place when bacteria in leaves, grass, and kitchen waste begin to eat the organic matter. There are several methods which will be covered in the next few issues, find the one that fits your lifestyle. Traditional Method. If you live in a house with a yard the process is very simple: 1) Start a pile of leaves, grass, and kitchen waste on level, well drained ground. Try to locate it in a secluded, sunny area. Since the pile must be 3 feet square, you may want to build a wooden box of those dimensions with a lid. 2) Feed it regularly. Do not put meats or fats into your compost bin because it will smell bad, and it might attract animals. A properly functioning compost bin will smell like the earth after a spring rain. 3) Turn it frequently, about every 3 days in the summer and every 10 in the winter. All the composted material can be collected from the bottom of the bin. Be sure to keep it moist, but not wet. I have designed my own compost bin from wood. Send me a S.A.S.E. and I will send you a schematic and materials list. **** SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL We are not the only "free" country who is subjected to censorship. On January 22nd, 1991 e.v., the Los Angeles Times reported that the BBC had requested that its 37 regional radio stations refrain from playing songs from a list of 67 "questionable" hits during the Gulf Crisis. Hits like Lennon's "IMAGINE" and "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE. Also on their hit list were all time greats such as Roberta Flack's "KILLING ME SOFTLY" and Phil Collins "IN THE AIR TONITE". One radio station supervisor indicated that playing a song like IMAGINE after an air raid in Iraq would be as tacky as playing Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch' Boggie". Vietnam was the most publicized war in history, the masses saw the images of war on their television sets daily. This brought about the marches and protests which ended the infamous war. Vice President Qualye has shamed the news-media for giving the anti-war demonstrators equal time, now we all we get is the usual pro-American propaganda that tells us no innocent civilians are being hurt by our constant bombing, and video images of direct hits which are taken from such a distance that we couldn't verify if civilians WERE involved. All information must be cleared by U.S. Department of Defense before it can air: CENSORSHIP. In the 60's people learned that united they could stop the world, while the government learned that in order to maintain support from its citizens in a war effort they could not bring the horrible images of war to their homes. We suffer from Historical Amnesia. While America liberates Kuwait who is liberating America? ******* FOOD SECTION by Soror Alice EMPANADA PIE an Argentine dish This is a great example of Argentine cuisine. It is a sweet/spicy entree. This recipe will yield about six servings. It is a main course. You'll need: 2 deep dish pie crust shells (12 oz.) 1 pound ground beef (lean) 1 medium potato diced into 1/2" cubes 1 medium carrot diced into 1/2" cubes 1 medium white onion chopped 1 bunch of green onions chopped 2 hard boiled eggs 1/8 cup of raisins 2 heaping tbls of vegetable shortening 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, cumin, and sugar about 10 olives a pinch of crushed red pepper The filling: Heat the shortening in a deep pot. Slowly add meat and stir with a wooden spoon. When the meat is browned slowly add the white onion until transparent and add the diced potato and carrot stirring to make sure the mixture does not stick to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and red peppers. (Easy with the red pepper!) If mixture should appear dry add water and stir in. When the potato and carrot are almost cooked add the green onions and the cumin and cook till potato and carrot are soft. Allow to cool in the refrigerator. Once the filling has cooled put it into one pie crust: sprinkle the filling with the olives and the hard boiled egg. Cover it with the other pie crust by pinching it together; you might have to wet the top pie crust to make it pliable. Cut three or four slices on top of the pie to allow the vapor to escape and bake at 400 degrees until crust is golden brown. ****** THE HORRORSCOPE We received this in the mail from a Frater Hey-How-Are-Ya. He wrote that although he did not know the author of this hilarious piece, he felt that it was perfect material for the Rpstoval Review...We agreed. If anybody out there knows where this originated, please drop us a line so that we can be sure to credit the author. ARIES (Mar. 21 - Apr.20) You are the pioneer type and hold most people in contempt. You are quick-tempered, impatient, and scornful of advice. You are not very nice. TAURUS (Apr.21 - May 21) You are practical and persistent. You have a dogged determination and work like hell. Most people think you are stubborn and bull-headed. You are probably a communist. GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) You are a quick and intelligent thinker. People like you because you are bisexual. You are inclined to expect too much for too little. This means you are cheap and are known for committing incest. CANCER (June 22 - July 23) You are sympathetic and understanding to other people's problems. They think you are a sucker. You are always putting things off. That's why you'll never make anything of yourself. Most welfare recipients are Cancer people. LEO (July 24 - Aug. 23) You consider yourself a born leader. Others think you are pushy. Most Leo people are bullies. You are vain and dislike honest criticism. Your arrogance is disgusting. Leo people are known thieves. VIRGO (Aug. 24 - Sept. 23) You are the logical type and hate disorder. This nit-picking is sickening to your friends. You are cold and unemotional and sometimes fall asleep while making love. Virgo people make good bus drivers. LIBRA (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) You are the artistic type and have a difficult time with reality. If you are a man, you are probably queer. Chances for employment and monetary gains are excellent. Most Libra women are prostitutes. All Libras die of venereal disease. SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) You are shrewd in business and cannot be trusted. You shall achieve the pinnacle of success because of your total lack of ethics. Most Scorpio people are murdered. SAGITARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 20) You are optimistic and enthusiastic. You have a reckless tendency to rely on luck since your total lack of talent. The majority of Sagittarians are drunks or dope fiends. Other people laugh at you a great deal. CAPRICORN (Dec. 21 - Jan. 20) You are conservative and afraid of taking risks. You don't do much of anything and are lazy. There has never been a Capricorn of any importance. Capricorns should avoid standing still too long as they tend to take root and become trees. AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) You have an inventive mind and are inclined to be progressive. On the other hand, you are inclined to be careless and impractical causing you to make the same mistakes over and over again. People think you are stupid. PISCES (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) You have a vivid imagination and often think you are being followed by the FBI or CIA. You have minor influence over your associates and people resent you for your flaunting of power. You lack confidence and are generally a coward. Pisces people do terrible things to small animals. ****** LITTLE NAPOLEON AWARD When Iraq occupied Kuwait I promised myself that The RPSTOVAL would not comment upon it, since you couldn't turn the channel on your television set without seeing News anchormen/women trying to boost their ratings by repeating the same news over and over again. Saddam did something which changed my mind. There has been heated debates as to whether or not America should intervene in the first place. With rising unemployment, a failing economy, a hopeless medical care system, the homeless, and an A.I.D.S. cure no-where to be found, some Americans couldn't justify the $1,000,000,000 per day it is costing us to be there. (Wouldn't it have been cheaper to spend the money developing an alternative fuel?) No parent wants to sacrifice their young for the oil companies (since most of them took advantage of the crisis in order to raise their prices, despite of the fact their oil did not come from Kuwait), nor did anyone want to fight a war so that Europe and Japan could enjoy cheaper oil prices. All valid arguments. By letting the automotive and oil companies talk us out of seeking, cleaner, environmentally sound fuel alternatives we have allowed ourselves to be taken hostage...again. Saddam Hussein declared war on the WORLD the day he blew up the oil refineries and released their oil into the Gulf. The burning oil will spew cancer causing smoke throughout the world, potentially darkening the skies, lowering temperatures, and changing weather patterns; while ocean life chokes on a commodity humans would rather sacrifice their children for than give up. "Black Rain" could become a household word. By creating an environmental disaster, not only has he declared war on today's generations, but on the next generations to come. He has made it so that my children may one day ask: "Daddy; why is the sky black?" ******* BOOK REVIEW Golden Dawn Enochian Magic by Pat Zalewski Well, I always figured that if someone attempted to cram all of the information pertaining to Golden Dawn Enochian Magick in one book it would be the biggest piece of New Age crap on the bookstore shelves. And it might have been, if anyone else would have done it. Unlike previous authors who have attempted the same task, Pat Zalewski explains the material from a practical point of view, and clarifies in great detail the mechanics involved without the superstitious reterec which seems to follow this doctrine. Practically written, GOLDEN DAWN ENOCHIAN MAGICK is a thorough and scholarly look into a much talked about, but little understood subject. There is something in this book for everybody; the historian types will enjoy it for its in-depth historical data. The curious types will be pleased by the way it thoroughly explains the methods of use. The experience Magician will savor the text as an "enochian encyclopedia" to be used as a reference for many years. In short, anyone interested in Magick will see this book as one of the most valuable, informative texts available on the market today. If you want to understand the Enochian system; buy it. Reviewed by Secundus Kerub ********** BOOK REVIEW "THE COMPLETE BOOK OF ASTROLOGICAL GEOMANCY" by Priscilla Schewi and Ralph Pestka, (Llewellyn, 1990). As my experience has taught me books containing in their title the word "complete" generally fail or fall short considerably. Upon reading, it proved itself worthy of it's title even if it did presuppose the reader would have prior knowledge and/or experience in either Geomancy or perhaps some form of Astrology. The complexity of this book seemed to dissolve quickly mainly due to the authors' use of multiple examples illustrating in detail the points being covered. This was helpful in addition to the step by step approach instituted to enable the reader to grasp more fully the subject material. In trying the system out I noticed the it was not so narrow as to disallow a fuller response to questions, in that I often found Myself receiving answers to follow up questions while arriving at the direct responses sought out initially. In other words while searching for an answer to my original question I discovered additional questions presented along with their responses supplied as well. (Almost the feeling of being a Guest Host on Jeopardy. Where the answers are all there waiting for the questions.) This is not what I would term a beginner's book but well worth the acquisition now for future use. Presumably during a time when the reader has some experience with Astrology or other types of predictive systems under their belts. Reviewed by Frater Hagios ******* SHIT LIST The following are quotes from the "anti-choice" leaders. We have placed these here in hope that by exposing the way they think and what they stand for, you the reader, might be persuaded to donate some of the much needed money that Planned Parenthood needs to put an end to these tyrants. The donations are tax deductible, and should be made to: Planned Parenthood 810 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019 "For those who say I can't impose my morality on others, I say just watch me." Joseph Schleidler Executive Director Pro-life League "I don't think Christians should use birth control. You consummate your marriage as often as you like and if you have babies, you have babies." Randall Terry Executive Director Operation Rescue "We are totally opposed to abortion under any circumstances. We are also opposed to abortifacient drugs and chemicals like the Pill and the IUD, and we are also opposed to all forms of birth control with the exception of natural family planning." Judie Brown President American Life League "Sex education in our public schools are promoting incest." Rev. Jimmy Swaggart "For instance, several years ago we tracked down a twelve year old girl who was going to have an abortion, so that we could talk her out of it. Talking a woman out of having an abortion is not news. But tracking her down by using a private detective is." Joseph Scheidler Executive Director Pro-Life Action League I don't think we should punish the criminal [a rapist] by killing his child". Dr. John Willke President National Right to Life Committee "It's very healthy for a young girl to be deterred from promiscuity by fear of contacting a painful, incurable disease, or cervical cancer, or sterility, or the likelihood of giving birth to a dead, blind, or brain damaged baby (even ten years later when she may be happily married)." Phyllis Schlafly President Eagle Forum "Meanwhile, let it be clear what we do: we fight contraception- sterilization-abortion on six continents..." Fr. Paul Marx President Human Life International "Resist, expose, or stop immediately every public school or group sex education program, no matter what it is called, or how it is diffused into the curriculum." Fr. Paul Marx President Human Life International The RPSTOVAL Review does not condone the use of abortion as a form of birth control. However, we recognize that the choice must be left up to the individual, and that no laws should be made based upon religious creeds or moral standards which defy the laws of reason or interfere with the Will of the individual. ********** THE NIGHT BEFORE SOLSTICE by RB Phantom 'Twas the night before Solstice, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a Faust; The Book of The Law was Set by the chimney with care; In hopes The Child Horus soon would be there; The Initiates were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of Adepts danced in their heads; And Nuit with her 'kerchief, and Hadit in his cap, Had just settled down from a long Pisces nap, When out of the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my Yoga to see what was the matter. When, what to my wondering eyes did appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny Aethyrs. With a little young driver, so lively and quick, I knew it must be Ra-Hoor-Khuit; doing a trick. "Now Raphael! Gabriel! Michael, and Auriel! On Air! On Water! on Fire & Earth! To the top of the Void! To the top of the Veil! Now dash away! dash away! dash away sail!" And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney PAN came with a bound, He was dressed all in fur from his torso to his foot, And the rest of him was sky-clad with ashes and soot; A bundle of talisman he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his sack. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, He laid out his Rituals; the turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew through the Veil; like a missile. But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, "The LAW is for ALL, and to all a Goodnight." ******* PROGRESS IS A TWO EDGED SWORD By Secundus Kerub Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. To the American corporation, progress has come to mean making money as quickly as possible with very little expense, and still give people the idea that it is looking out for their better interest. A perfect example is the manufacturers of aerosols who have jumped on the environmental bandwagon and advertise ozone friendly sprays, despite of the fact that the CFC's were outlawed many years ago. As a result of this mentality we now see organizations such as the AMERICAN RED CROSS, who's main function is to take care of people, conclude that it is more cost effective to pay the lawsuits to hundreds of people who have contracted the A.I.D.S. virus from blood transfusions than to test the blood as it is collected. Silicon Valley and the computer is another perfect example of "progress". We entered the technological era with the promises of major electronic corporations that so many "new" jobs would be opened that there wouldn't be enough people to fill them. Bush's grin almost breaks his face as he proudly announces that the unemployment rate of this country is under 6.5 percent. What he doesn't tell us is that the methods in use to determine the unemployment rate are no longer accurate indicators for the economic condition of the country for two reasons: 1) It does not count the homeless and 2) because there are 6 million Americans who work part time for part time pay who are only a few bucks from becoming homeless. Why so many? Because huge corporations are getting fat by using machines to do the work people used to do. Employing machines is much more cost efficient because they work faster, they don't complain about pay or working conditions, and don't require medical insurance or other benefits. Machines have become so common place in our society that their maintenance is pennies. Many of the companies that DO use humans simply take their manufacturing plants to other countries, where the human labor is as cheap as human life, where workers are afraid to demand health insurance or better working conditions. If we get off our butts we can maybe do something here, in America, but we will not be able to do anything in other countries. In the mean time, the education which is required to insure our childrens'job security in this quickly changing world of technology is not being met by our educational system. You may be thinking that because you are a computer programmer or technician you are immune to the economical burdens everybody else is living with, but you are wrong. In a world of computers information has no endurance because it is constantly being replaced by upgraded information; it is only a matter of time until you too are replaced and wondering how you are going to feed your family. The planet is being reduced to garbage by corporate greed while most people shrug their shoulders and say it's evolution. The air we breathe is being poisoned by the oil companies, and yet it is justified with every gallon of gasoline we purchase. Is the destruction of our natural resources really the price to pay for "progress"? or is the word nothing more than a cloak conveniently used to disguise the hideous monsters we have become. Love is the law, love under will. Secundus Kerub *** THE THELEMIC CONSUMER or 1001 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BEAT THE SYSTEM by Frater SLQ It is evident that the American government acts not for the benefit of the individual, but mainly in service of commercial interests. In this column we will expose some of the popular myths upon which subservience to corporate abuse is based, and provide tips on what you can do to protect yourself and your hard-earned money from corruption and greed. _____________________ Whoever thought of banking sure came up with a good idea. Think about it: "Give us your money, so we can invest it and make a fortune off of it, then charge you lots of service fees as well". Banking is a universal industry -- everyone puts in their money for the banks' profit, and pays for it too! The best option would be to keep and manage your money by yourself, but today's society is constructed in such a way that it would be very difficult to get along without a bank account. You could cash your checks at a check-cashing service, but they charge for each transaction. Keeping your cash at home is somewhat risky, although with a little care it can be done securely. But to pay your bills you would either have to mail cash (definitely risky) or get a money order every time you wanted to mail a payment. This option is also costly, not to mention inconvenient. Assuming, then, that you are stuck with a bank for a while, here is a little bit of advice. Shop around--different banks charge different fees for the same services. Never select an account which charges for ATM usage or per-check fees. These days, the interest checking account is becoming scarce, but compared to monthly service charges, the few cents interest you earn won't make much difference. The most important goal is to minimize your service charges--take the account with the lowest service charge, regardless of the other benefits. An interest-earning account is only worth an extra $5 a month if you have enough money to make more than $5 a month in interest alone! In spite of this, many people pay extra for interest. The banks are well aware of this snow-job, and rake in the bucks because of it. We all know that the system is set up to benefit only the wealthy. Here's a tip which will give you two valuable services FREE in addition to your checking account, services for which banks normally charge you through the nose. They are: 1) overdraft protection, and 2) a linked savings account. Overdraft protection is essential these days, because banks will hold deposits without telling you, then turn around and stop checks coming in the same day. Not only do they get to charge you, but the person or business to whom you wrote the check gets pissed off, since their bank charges them for the returned check as well. This has happened to me many times, and usually ends up costing about $50 extra all around. Normally, overdraft protection works like this: you pay a monthly or annual fee for the service. Then, if you bounce a check, they pay it, but charge you a fee and take it out of your overdraft credit line, which you then pay back with interest. So they are making money three ways! Recently, some banks have been offering a linked saving account. This is a separate account, upon which you pay service charges, but which serves a a backup in case you bounce a check. There is a monthly fee for this linkage, as well as a fee when you bounce a check and they take it out of your savings account. Again, they charge you three ways. Here's a simple method which will allow you to benefit from both services absolutely free. First, decide on a set amount which you can deduct from your income on a regular basis. If you really examine your expenses, you will find that you can easily sacrifice a few bucks each month. A good figure is 10% of your net check each pay period. Then, immediately after depositing your paycheck and crediting it in your checkbook, subtract your reserve amount. Keep a running total of these deductions, either in a separate register or on the same line of your checkbook. For example: Date Description Withdrawal Deposit Balance ================================================================= 2/5 paycheck deposit +500.00 650.00 2/5 savings = $250 -50.00 600.00 In this example, we have already saved $200, and we added $50 to this amount from our current paycheck, totaling $250 in savings so far. Your checking balance is really $250 more than shows up in your checkbook (a total of $850 in this example). That $250 is saving without having to pay for a savings account, and it provides free overdraft protection in the event of a mistake or emergency. And as an added benefit, if you earn interest on your account it will increase as your savings increase. (Another option is to add this interest back into your savings instead of your checking for even more growth.) A word of caution: this method requires discipline. You must be firm in subtracting your deduction from each paycheck. And you must treat the balance shown just as if it was your real balance. Resist the temptation to say: "well, I actually have $250 more, so I'll just dip into that for tonight." Avoid negative balances as much as possible. ANd remember, when you balance your banking statement, subtract out the savings balance at the end and compare it with your checkbook balance. Regular record-keeping is essential to successfully beating the system! If you continue to do this automatically each month, one day you will be amazed to find that you have amassed a small fortune in savings, and you'll never bounce a check again! I have been using this method myself for several months with excellent results, when I had always failed to save money before. And you may be surprised to find that you are getting along just as well as you were before you deducted that small amount from your income, especially after getting used to it during the first couple of months. One final tip: banks are huge bureaucracies with idiosyncrasies all their own. A long time ago I opened a student account which promised "no monthly service charges" if my university paycheck was deposited directly. Well, it took me four months of fighting with the bank before they finally removed the service charges that they weren't supposed to be charging me. Since then I've graduated and stopped direct deposit, but I haven't had a single service charge on my account yet. Take advantage of the loopholes whenever you can. Just remember, however, that they can change the rules whenever they want (for example, my interest rate has been declining steadily during the past few years). Recommended Reading Clason, George S., The Richest Man in Babylon (New York: Signet, 1988). This is the classic guide to saving and investing your money wisely.