Incantation & Exorcism (the Āšipu's Craft)
The exorcist read the unseen cause of your suffering — then bound, burned, or banished it by the word.
When affliction was traced to a god's anger, a demon, a ghost, or witchcraft, the specialist who intervened was the ashipu, the exorcist-healer. He diagnosed the unseen cause and performed structured rituals — reciting incantations, manipulating symbolic objects, transferring the evil onto a substitute to be burned or cast away. Great ritual series addressed specific evils: Shurpu and Maqlu against sin and sorcery, others against ghosts or Lamashtu. Often the exorcist worked alongside the physician (asu) with his herbs. Incantation was a learned craft, grounded in the wisdom of Enki/Ea, aimed at restoring a person to wholeness and divine favor.