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In real world jargon, the Kabbal is specifically a Jewish sect which practices mysticism; more loosely, a cabal is any group which practices mysticism; and more loosely still, any tightly knit, clandestine group. In this game, Cabbala is set apart from the other spheres by its emphasis on ritual and proper form. Cabbala magic seems to be regarded by its devotees, not as miraculous, but as the natural consequence of the ritual or process which conjures it. Cabbalists are the only mages who ever claim that magic could be caused by physical, rather than spiritual, reactions, and that Spirit could well possess a tactile reality.
Many agree that Cabbala has decidedly non-human origins; most point to demons and the like as its probable originators. Certainly, Cabbala is the sphere which has the most direct interaction with the infernal. The summoning and warding of demons, while restricted to the higher levels, is one of Cabbala's more direct applications. Aside from that, Cabbalists tends to favour subtle, non-combative magic. This works well with the lengthy, drawn-out processes required by most of its spells. Cabbalists themselves have very little understanding of how their spells actually manage to have affect on the world. Many systems to show what reactions are actually occurring have been devised, but few even among their creators lend them any sort of real credence. The most common explanation is that it is not the Cabbalists themselves who effect the magic, but rather, that by their actions and rituals they are arousing, or invoking, some outside force (learned Cabbalists tend to call this the primum mobile force; most others just label it demonic intervention, and give the Cabbalists a wide berth).
Few have the patience, or skill, necessary to become proficient at Cabbala. It is the most taxing of all the spheres, emphasizing discipline over genius; it is the most esoteric of all the spheres, and it is very difficult to make inroads in it without some formal schooling. It is also the least philosophically inclined; Cabbala is seen by its adherents as a means to an end, and as such the system itself espouses no particular set of beliefs, though many of its sects, or Cabbals, will often wed their own spiritual and philosophical beliefs to the practices of Cabbala.
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