I love patchouli! It’s one of my favorite smells ever! For protection I also recommend Frankincense and Sandalwood.
That’s amazing that your friend recommended you this site! Tell her I say thanks!!
I suggest you follow this Guided Grounding Meditation (Grounding is usually the first step to touching base with Nature, releasing energy back into the Eternal Flow),
Another useful technique is visualizing a Circle of Protection as explained here to invoke peace and balance.
I also wrote a post on Energy Work Basics, it’s good that you’re comfortable handling and directing your own energy. Regarding spells, here’s a curated list of Spell Collections!
Browse around the forum and comment on any topic you like. You are very welcome here! 