Madonna's spiritual awakening

Madonna has ties to Israel and Judaism through her involvement with the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Center. -- PHOTO: AP

JERUSALEM - AFTER a long career as a singer, dancer, new-age seeker and megacelebrity, Madonna added a new item to her resume on Friday - Israeli newspaper correspondent.

An article in Friday's edition of Israel's biggest daily, Yediot Ahronot, bears the Material Girl's byline. It describes her spiritual awakening upon discovering Jewish mysticism, called Kabbalah, after which, she writes, 'all the puzzle pieces started falling into place.'

Madonna is bringing her Sticky & Sweet tour to Israel in September, which no doubt explains the timing of her journalism debut here. But she also has ties to Israel and Judaism through her involvement with the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Center, whose new-age version of Judaism's ancient mystic tradition has become popular among members of Hollywood's A-list.

The 50-year-old pop icon has taken the Hebrew name Esther and came to Israel on private pilgrimages in 2004 and 2007 along with other Kabbalah devotees.

In the article, Madonna, who was raised Roman Catholic, describes hearing about Kabbalah for the first time at a dinner party in Los Angeles while pregnant with her daughter Lourdes, who is now 12. She had recently completed a star turn in the movie Evita, she writes, but 'still felt like something was missing in my life.'

The Kabbalah Center's devotees have included other celebrities such as Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears. Many mainstream Jewish scholars see the Center's self-help teachings, its sale of Kabbalah-themed merchandise and its embrace by non-Jewish pop stars as a perversion of Judaism's ancient and secretive mystic tradition.

Some rabbis were particularly incensed by Madonna's song, 'Isaac,' about the revered 16th-century Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria, which featured on her 2005 album, 'Confessions on a Dance Floor.'

Jewish tradition has long held that Kabbalah is so complicated and so easily misunderstood that students may only begin to approach it with a strong background in Jewish law and only after age 40. The discipline's elements include the study of mystical texts, prayer and meditation in an attempt to draw closer to the divine.

The criticism appears to have had no effect on Madonna's popularity among Israelis. Originally scheduled to give one concert in Tel Aviv, Madonna added a second after the first show quickly sold out. -- AP

Madonna erotic tapes go on sale

Jimi Hendrix's first recording contract and erotic audio tapes sent by Madonna to her former bodyguard have gone on sale in an online memorabilia auction.

Hendrix's contract, which the musician had signed, is expected to fetch up to $250,000 (£151,287).

The tapes, recorded by Madonna in 1992 and 1993, have been estimated to sell for up to $40,000 (£24,205).

Items once belonging to John Lennon and Elvis Presley are also lots in the auction, which runs until 5 August.

'Very personal'

The two Madonna cassette tapes each hold 17 minutes of material.

The messages recorded by the singer were left for James Albright, the bodyguard who eventually became her lover.

An intimate home video featuring Madonna, which she also sent him, has an estimated value of up to $14,000 (£8,461).

The Gotta Have It! auction house, based in New York, described the video as "very personal and intimate", but refused to say exactly what was on it.

A life-size prop of Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 terminator, which was used in various action sequences in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, is also up for sale.

It is expected to fetch between $150,000 (£90,644) to $200,000 (£120,871).

Among the other lots in the auction are Bob Dylan's original 1962 working lyrics for his song A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall, jackets worn by Lennon and jewellery once owned by Presley.

Traci Brooks poses nude in Playboy

SEXY TNA Wrestling babe Traci Brooks will bare all in Playboy, SunSport can confirm.

The latest addition to The Main Event Mafia posed for a nude pictorial in the magazine's November issue, which hits newsstands on October 5.

Traci exclusively told SunSport: "Yes, it's true! I will be the first TNA Knockout ever to grace the cover and pages of Playboy.

"Shooting with Playboy was truly an amazing experience for me.

"I can't wait for all my fans to see it. I will be doing a big media tour in October to promote it plus several autograph signings."

In an interview earlier this year, fellow knockout So Cal Val told SunSport how the women of TNA were ready to step up and pose for Playboy now that the WWE Divas have pulled out.

Vince McMahon has barred his girls from baring all in Hugh Hefner's mag to make the WWE more family friendly.

She said: "It would be a really good thing for TNA.

"I know the fans love our photo shoots and what could be better than to do one for Playboy?

"And, hey, if we're going to get naked then this is the classiest way.

"It would also be great to show the WWE up - and have better pictures than their girls did.

"I say go for it!"

Jagger's girl poses topless

Little Miss Attitude ... Georgia Jagger

GEORGIA JAGGER makes MILEY CYRUS' Vanity Fair shoot look saintly.

MICK's 17-year-old daughter has posed topless in a provocative shoot for Hudson jeans.

Dressed only in denim, she pouts bare-footed and bare-chested into the lens.

But with seven children by four different women, the ROLLING STONES vocalist is going to have a tough time telling Georgia what to do.

Hudson spokesman DAVID LIPMAN said of Georgia: "It's all about the heritage of having Mick Jagger as a dad and JERRY HALL as a mum.

"But more than anything, it's her spirit that captivates me."

LADY GAGA TOPLESS PHOTO

LADY GAGA'S out of this world - and so are her curves as she poses TOPLESS for the first time.

It's got to be my XS Icon's most shocking photo ever as she wears a space-age-style hat - and NOTHING else.



Bound to get the lads circling the planets with such a hot shot of the Paparazzi singer.

It reminds me of when MADONNA started going topless in the early 90s.

Click here to see more outrageous photos of Lady GaGa

V magazine's fantastic beauty Issue hits newsstands on July 7th. Click here to visit the V magazine website

If that wasn't enough, I've got you a double delight today as Latino beauty SHAKIRA also flashing the flesh in my stunning photo (below). Her comeback single She Wolf is out in September. But she already looks like she's ahead of the pack.

Lady GaGa has gone to Heaven

LADY GAGA had clubbers - and herself - gripped in London at the weekend.

The raunchy singer was at her X-rated best at gay nightclub Heaven, groping her boobs and showing off her uncovered rear at frequent intervals.

The Just Dance babe wowed the packed venue for an hour, piling her way through an endless collection of costumes.



Not sure if the other 'Heaven' would applaud her antics quite so enthusiastically.

Rihanna's outfit gets two stars

THE STARS were out on Saturday - and RIHANNA was wearing them.

The Umbrella hitmaker donned some titillating body jewellery to an Independence Day celebration at Tao nightclub in Las Vegas.

She was joined at the bash by JAY-Z and JAMIE FOXX, who thrilled fans by performing a MICHAEL JACKSON tribute on stage.

There was also another notable guest on the arm of Rihanna.

Some reports in the US suggest it's her new boyfriend, while others claim he's just her bodyguard.

Either way, we're sure he's enjoying himself...

Men, too, feel anxious to strip off!

It’s not just the women who worry about body image and are reluctant to bare it all, for men too feel uncool about stripping off, according to researchers.

The survey by Tescodiets.com revealed that almost 50 percent men worry about baring their stomachs on the beach.

In fact, one in three men have considered avoiding a beach holiday altogether because of how they look in their swimming trunks.

Seven in 10 men surveyed were worried about baring their bodies, 47 percent were most cautious about revealing their stomachs.

More than 2,000 men were questioned for the survey, out of which, almost 75 percent thought that British men get just as nervous as women, when it comes to slipping on the swimwear.

The boys resort to many tactics to cover up in the heat—nearly a quarter wear shorts or a T-shirt even in the sea, 40 percent diet and around one third strip off only when in the water.

Over three-quarters of men were jealous of toned, athletic men they spotted on the beach.

One third of men said that they were most worried about how they looked to the opposite sex, as compared to just 13 percent who worried about what other men would think.

"Every summer we hear plenty about women dreading having to wear a swimsuit but men clearly have many of the same issues," Sky News quoted Catherine Ambrozewicz, head of Tescodiets.com, as saying.