Magic was invoked in many kinds of rituals and medical formulae, and to counteract evil omens.

Defensive or legitimate magic in Mesopotamia (asiputu or masmassutu in the Akkadian

language) were incantations and ritual practices intended to alter specific realities. The ancient Mesopotamians believed that magic was the only viable defense against demons, ghosts, and
evil sorcerers.[27] To defend themselves against the spirits of those they had wronged, they would leave offerings known as kispu in the person's tomb in hope of appeasing them.[28] If that failed,
they also sometimes took a figurine of the deceased and buried it in the ground, demanding for the gods to eradicate the spirit, or force it to leave the person alone. [29]

The ancient Mesopotamians also used magic intending to protect themselves from evil sorcerers who might place curses on them. [30] Black magic as a category didn't exist in ancient
Mesopotamia, and a person legitimately using magic to defend themselves against illegitimate magic would use exactly the same techniques. [30] The only major difference was the fact that
curses were enacted in secret;[30] whereas a defense against sorcery was conducted in the open, in front of an audience if possible. [30] One ritual to punish a sorcerer was known as Maqlû, or
"The Burning".[30] The person viewed as being afflicted by witchcraft would create an effigy of the sorcerer and put it on trial at night. [30] Then, once the nature of the sorcerer's crimes had been
determined, the person would burn the effigy and thereby break the sorcerer's power over them. [30]

The ancient Mesopotamians also performed magical rituals to purify themselves of sins committed unknowingly. [30] One such ritual was known as the Šurpu, or "Burning",[31] in which the caster of
the spell would transfer the guilt for all their misdeeds onto various objects such as a strip of dates, an onion, and a tuft of wool. [31] The person would then burn the objects and thereby purify
themself of all sins that they might have unknowingly committed.[31] A whole genre of love spells existed.[32] Such spells were believed to cause a person to fall in love with another person, restore
love which had faded, or cause a male sexual partner to be able to sustain an erection when he had previously been unable. [32] Other spells were used to reconcile a man with his patron deity or
to reconcile a wife with a husband who had been neglecting her.[33]