Asson - sacred rattle of a hungan or mambo, made from a calabash gourd and covered in a netting of beads and snake vertebrae. The asson is supposed to confer magical powers upon its owner.

Bagi - the inner sanctuary of the humfort. This is the room which houses all of the sacred objects belonging to the hungan and mambo, and where most of the important magical rituals take place. Only the initiated or chosen are allowed inside.

Baron Samedi - the most powerful and well-known of the Guede family. The cemetary is his domain. He is known for appearing in a top hat and glasses and for smoking cigarettes. At times fiercely protective and benevolent, at others wicked and vengeful, he is perhaps the most feared of all the loa. In order for black magic to succeed, the perpetrator must first have permission from the petro Baron Samedi.

Boko - a hungan or mambo who practices black magic.

Bruja - a witch who practices black magic and serves the devil.

Circle Daybreak - a group of vampires, witches, and humans that fight evil beings in order to protect the world of humans.

Connaissance - literally "knowledge", it embodies all the sacred lore and magical or supernatural abilities which give the hungan or mambo special power.

Coucher - literally "putting to bed", the extended period of isolation in the inner sanctum that a Voodoo initiate must endure before he or she becomes a hungan or mamabo.

Couchon Gris - literally "Grey Pig", another term for members of the Red Sect.

Curandera - a good witch or hearth women, who knows a lot about magic and medicine, of Mexican heritage.

Damballah - The serpent-loa; the oldest and wisest of all the Voodoo spirits. Other loa refer to Damballah as "our father". He represents cosmic wisdom and the beginning of time; he is the keeper of all ancient mysteries and secrets.

Dark Lighter - the opposite of a white lighter. Dark lighters are evil spirits who try to take the power of witches for their own benefit.

Gros-bon-ange: literally "big good angel"; one of the 2 souls everyone is supposed to possess. The gros-bon-ange is responsible for a person's actions and personality traits.

Guede - the family of loa who represent death. Its members include Baron Samedi, Baron La Croix, Baron Cimitierre, Captain Zambi, and Papa Guede.

Gypsies - a group of unique people who have magical powers.

Hearthwomen - good witches that use their magic for healing people.

Hellmouth - the portal where vampires and demons can come through into our world. The Hellmouth is located in Sunnydale.

Humfort - the Voodoo temple and focal point for most activities in Voodoo Societies. The term can also loosely refer to the members of the society as a whole.

Hungan - a Voodoo priest.

Ife - the mythical, paradiscal world where the loa are supposed to pass the time when they are not roaming the earth.

Kanzo - the term encompassing all initiation rites in Voodoo.

Lamia - born vampires.

Laver-Tete: literally "head washing"; it is the ceremony performed during the coucher that establishes a permanent link between initiate and a specific loa who will become that person's special protector and advisor.

Legba - also called Papa Legba, he is the gatekeeper between the world of the loa and the world of human beings.

Loa - Voodoo spirits, also called "divine horsemen." Most derive from West African gods and goddesses and have destinctive multi-faceted personalities. They interact with human beings constantly: They appear in dreams; they protect, advise, harm, cast spells, bestow fortune or poverty, cause lover or discord, and occupy the bodies of Voodoo believers through the act of possession. There are 2 distinct categories of loa: the rada and the petro. The rada are generally good and gentle. The petro are associated with sorcery and magical strength; they are called "eaters of men" because of their ruthless and unforgiving reputation.

Loup-garou - a female werewolf

Maitre Carrefour - literally "Master of the Crossroads"; the petro alter-ego of Legba.

Mambo - Voodoo priestess.

Marassa - the Voodoo term for twins. Blessed with supernatural powers, are powerful and dangerous beings. According to some beliefs, they are even more powerful than the loa. One has to treat both twins equally to avoid arousing the jealousy and wrath of one.

Maya - the first vampire.

Mondongue - a powerful petro loa, he is often considered the patron spirit of the Red Sect.

Morts - the dead. They communicate with the living mainly through dreams.

Nosferatu - another name for vampire.

Pe - stone alters dedicated to the loa that are found in the bagi.

Peristyle - the main room of the humfort.

Poteau-Mitan: the sacred post at the center of the peristyle. It represents the cosmic axis of the universe; all the ceremonies revolve around it; and the loa travel through it on their way between worlds.

Premonition - the ability to see flashes of the future or the past.

Samhain - the god of death in Druid beliefs. Samhain is also another name for Halloween.

Secte Rouge - the "Red Sect"; a secret society of sorcerers made up of zobop and loup-garous dedicated to evil, black magic, and self interest. "The Emperor" is the leader, and rituals involve "marches" - secret walks during which the members scour deserted roads for people to rob, kill, or sacrifice. Human sacrificial victims are known as "goats without horns."

Slayer - In every generation, a girl is destined to slay vampires and demons to protect the world. She is known as the slayer.

Telekinesis - the ability to move objects with one's mind.

Telepathy - the ability to read minds.

Tempus - a demon who is able to control time.

The Charmed Ones - 3 witches, whose powers are split in three. Together, they can be very powerful, but is weak when they are missing one member.

The Nightworld - a society of vampires, witches, werewolves, and other creatures of darkness that live among us.

The Soulmate Principle - a bizarre law that governs the destiny of two people (no matter what creature they are: vampire, witch, human, etc.) Fate brings them together because they belong together. They are connected by an invisible, electric thread, which cannot be broken.

Ti-Bon-Ange: literally "little good angel"; the 2nd of the souls that inhabit all human beings. It serves as a spiritual protector.

Watcher - For every slayer, there is a watcher. The watcher protects and advises the slayer.

White Lighter - a supernatural being that protect witches. Whitelighters were originally good human beings who have died, but instead of going to heaven, they were given a choice to become white lighters. They have the ability to heal, shimmer, and find important info. They are kind of like a secret society that protects good witches.

Zobop - evil sorcerer; male member of the Red Sect.