[UA] Pop Culture Update

[Michael Dinowitz]

While I privately agree with your definitions, they're not the ones I'd say publicly. On the other hand, I don't think that there are any public ones. The term Kabbalist is a rather modern one for describing a student of Kabbalah. This is because such studies are a sub of Jewish learning. The closest I've heard described is MeKubal but again, not anything common. Usually you hear of Rabbi this or Rav that who is a MeKubal. Their being a Rabbi is always the main thing. 
I think that in religious circles there is no term for non-religious or non-Jewish people who study or make use of Kabbalistic lore. The term Ba'al Shem is one that was used to refer to wandering Rabbis who used practical Kabbalah during the 16-19th centuries (or so). The term Magid is one from the same time applied to wandering story tellers (and the story of a spirit of story or the like called a magid). The Ba'al Shem Tov is the only one who I know of who is refered to with that title. 
A title for a great Rabbi is a common thing. Usually the title is an acronym of their name or the like. The Vilna Goan means the Genius of Vilna. Ramchal is Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (one of my personal favorite writers). Rabbi Yisroel Ben Eliezer also know as the Besht or the Ba'al Shem Tov is the only user of the Ba'al Shem title that is readily recognized (though I can point to a few others). 
Bottom line is that there really *isn't* a title for a non-Jew who study or practices Kabbalah.
 
At 06:10 PM 4/30/02, you wrote:
>>Fair cop. So, what *is* the technical name for a non-Jew who
>>practices kabbalistic magic?  I can fix it in the errata, if there's
>>a correct term.
>
>I'd go with "wannabe," "hypocrite," "fool," "poser," and maybe "ignorant bastard deluded by the Golden Dawn who feels the need to appropriate the trappings of a religion they feel no connection to."
>
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