Wouldn’t hurt.
If I’m unsure about an entity, it’s no uncommon for me to call on a trusted one to verify. Especially when I started evoking. It’s a side-benefit that when such a powerful being is in you environment, the ankle-biters have a tendency to not come around or try to impersonate.
It depends, if its a Greek deity with a humn I use the hymn same as you’d use an enn. No I don’t sing lol.
If it’s an Egyptian deity, I use their name in hieroglyphs the same way you’d use a sigil.
For other deities I either use Koetting’s incantation (thought I don’t use that often anymore)
" 4. To Summon Forth"
Or my way
https://forum.becomealivinggod.com/t/words-of-anassa/89793/147?u=anassa
You are such a legend xxx
Thank you!! 
Is this essentially offering blood to the entity, or is it just opening a gate?
No this is just for the gate opening. You can skip this entire gate part if you don’t wish to evoke.
Last week on my birthday I started a one year ritual, calling the Shem and Goetics in pairs.
Five days of calling per pair.
Started with the 34th Lehaiah and Furfur because of their attributed position in the zodiac (yes I know everybody will say it doesn’t matter when you call which one and which sign they are assigned to but I do think it matters so )
That means that ideally you would start on the spring equinox, but I had too much stuff going on with other spirits then so chose my birthday.
Will maybe start a journal for it.
I’d read it 
I was really stoked for this, but Lucifer told me not too and pushed me towards Azrael instead 