I’ve always thought that next to Scientology, the Hollywood/celebrity version of Kabbalah seems relatively harmless. Sure, it seems like a scam, especially when you hear about Madonna spending $10,000 a month on “special” Kabbalah water. But it’s a quaint scam, in the vein of “there’s a sucker born every minute” rather than “Xenu will hunt you down and eat your first-born.” So if you’re a celebrity and you’re going to fall for some trendy pseudo-religion, it might as well be Kabbalah. It seems easier too – less intense 9-hour audits and more “take a class whenever and wear a red string.” So guess which fad Sienna Miller has now allegedly joined? That’s right, the easy one. According to The Daily Mail, Sienna put on her red string (and matched it with a red dress – photos here) and is now a Kabbalist.

Actress Sienna Miller has turned to Kabbalah and has started wearing the controversial faith’s bracelet. The 28-year-old has attended meetings at the Kabbalah centre in New York – where Madonna is a regular visitor.

And she has told friends she is keen to learn more about the mystical Jewish discipline.

While her father is Jewish, Sienna has never spoken about being religious.

Says a friend: ‘Sienna has joined Kabbalah and started wearing the red bracelet. She certainly seems fascinated, and with so many famous devotees, joining won’t do her career any harm either.’

The faith boasts many A-list followers, including Britney Spears, Charlize Theron, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore.

[From The Daily Mail]

Wait, Charlize does Kabbalah too? I didn’t know that. And Britney Spears doesn’t do Kabbalah anymore, she just wore the red string for a few weeks back in 2004 or something.

As for Sienna’s future as an actress, I’d say things are definitely looking up since the unfortunate Balthazar Getty incident, in which she almost destroyed her career. She and Jude are going strong, and they just made their first big public appearance as a renewed couple. However, although both Sienna and Jude both starred in big Broadway productions last fall, only Jude walked away with a Tony nomination. Still, Sienna doesn’t have any film projects lined up, so my guess is that she’s preparing to spend some time just being Jude’s girlfriend again. As for those engagement rumors, Jude told Access Hollywood last week “Not at the moment. Not at the moment. That’s all I can say.” But, Jude also said, regarding Sienna, “I’m very happy. I’m very happy to be happy.”

By the way, what is Jude doing in this photo?

Header: Jude & Sienna on May 3, 2010. Credit: WENN.

Madonna has taken her Jesus to Israeli. Wasn’t something like this described in Revelations? Anyhoodle, Madonna is in the Holy Land to perform two “Sticky & Sweet” concerts in Tel Aviv. Does anyone think Madonna should have renamed the tour at this point? Let her call it “Hip Displacement & Crotchety” or perhaps “Man Arms & Grundle”. Before Madonna’s big Tel Aviv performances, she took her baby Jesus (Luz) to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. I’m pretty jealous. I’m not even that religious, and I’ve always wanted to go to Jerusalem and touch the Wailing Wall. Sigh. I love the History Channel - they did an “Inside Jerusalem” special that rocked. I bet Madonna saw it too!

Madonna also went out to dinner with Israel’s opposition leader Tzipi Livni last night – in interviews, Livni comes across as the smart, tough former Mossad officier she is, but I’m really disappointed she had dinner with Madonna. Bad call, Tzipi.

Madonna sparked a media frenzy when she visited the Jewish faith’s holiest site today.

Wearing high heels, blue jeans and a black jacket, the singer was accompanied by her Brazilian boyfriend Jesus Luz and several bodyguards when she visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Dozens of onlookers tried to get a glimpse of the diva while a crowd of photographers snapped away as the 51-year-old ducked into one of the tunnels near the pilgrimage site, which is also known as the ‘Wailing Wall’.

Madonna landed in Israel earlier today aboard a private jet. She is due to give two concerts in Tel Aviv as part of her Sticky and Sweet tour. During her visit, the star will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni.

A fervent practitioner of Kabbalah, Madonna is also due to attend a conference on the study of Jewish mystic discipline along with fellow Kabbalists, actress Demi Moore and her husband Ashton Kutcher.

In an article published in the popular Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, last month, Madonna recounted the long spiritual search that led her to Jewish mysticism.

‘I was raised a Catholic and my father was very religious, but none of my questions ever got answered,’ she said.

The Queen of Pop’s spiritual search led her to practise yoga and study Buddhism, Taoism and the Art of War – a 16th century military treaty – and to read about the early Christians. She said her search was over after she turned to Kabbalah.

In 1997, Madonna discovered a Los Angeles-based centre that teaches an eclectic mix of Orthodox Jewish tradition and positive thinking aimed at spiritual well-being. In 2004, she took the Hebrew name Esther but has not converted to Judaism.

From the point of view of Orthodox Jews, her studying the Kabbalah is sacrilege as they consider it should be reserved for married men over 40 who have pored over Talmudic texts for years. Madonna has previously visited Israel in 2004 and 2007 on private trips.

[From the Daily Mail]

Do Israelis take Madonna seriously at all? In most of the pictures I’ve seen from Madonna’s Excellent Holy Land Adventure, she’s being totally swarmed. But I always thought that orthodox and/or conservative Jews thought the whole Hollywood Kabbalah thing was a big joke. Come to think of, most everyone thinks it’s a big joke. Perhaps the Israelis were just excited to see the new love of Madonna’s life, the baby Jesus? That could be it.

Despite some rumors that Madonna was going to give her new daughter Mercy time to adjust /a> to the upheavals and trauma of moving in with a new family, Madonna seems back on her self-absorbed track. According to The Sun’s sources, Madonna is planning on taking Mercy with her for three months of her Sticky & Sweet tour, then they will fly to Jerusalem so Madge can introduce her daughter to Kabbalah. Because that’s how it works in Madge’s mind – her celebrity-cult version of Kabbalah is exactly the same as the Kabbalah practiced by Jewish scholars and mystics in Israel, and exposing Mercy to the Wailing Wall will somehow link up (in little Mercy’s mind) to mommy’s Kabbalah center in New York.

[From The Sun]

That Sun link has pictures of Mercy taken over the weekend, as dozens of people came traipsing in and out of Madge’s London home. Mercy looks totally scared and bewildered, and perhaps Mercy’s adjustment period should be without all of Madonna’s sycophantic friends and without any cults. Just for now. Let Mercy get her bearings, then overwhelm her with all of the people and the red strings.

Madonna is shown in London on 6/19/09. Credit: Bauergriffinonline