Kabbalah
The Jewish esoteric tradition, including its practical branch of divine names and amulets, now widely commercialised.
Also: qabalah, kabbalah ma'asit, practical kabbalah, cabala
Kabbalah means receiving, and names a body of esoteric teaching that took shape in medieval Spain and southern France, with the Zohar from the thirteenth century at its centre. It describes the divine through ten sefirot, aspects of God, and treats the Hebrew letters as the structure of creation. A smaller branch, practical Kabbalah, uses holy names, amulets and written formulas for protection and healing. Traditional teachers restrict study to older, learned students and treat it as part of Jewish observance, which is why many object to the public marketing of Kabbalah courses, red string bracelets and bottled water. The word cabala also became the basis of Christian and Hermetic Qabalah in Europe, a separate tradition.