Being mindful and aware is the most basic form of protection I can think of. This skill allows us to connect to our intuitive powers and listen to the messages our inner selves send us from within. Being mindful is as simple as being present in the moment and aware of the things that are goin on in our surroundings as well as what's going on internally. This is how you'll be able to tell in moments of looking into another's eyes during conversation, if something feels off or if the other is lying, for example.
Being aware and open to how we feel inside in relation to the environment that we find ourselves in, is the first and foremost form of protection and defense magick that any person should learn. Think of it like this; a person can learn how to defend themselves with physicals force by learning martial arts, but in the early stages of martial arts, often times, students will be taught how to avoid undesirable situations so that they don't have to resort to physical violence at all.
Protection and defensive magick is definitely a unique topic, this is the kind of magick that we do to prevent harm injury or misfortune from coming into our lives or that of those around us, and so, when these things are working in our favor, we may not even be aware of them.
This is an uneventful type of magick when done properly, but as I have mentioned before and will be sure to mention again and again is this; safety and protection are the same in the realm of magick as they are in the physical realm, they are there to decrease the chances of injury or loss in an unfortunate situation, but these things do not necessarily prevent the situation from unfolding.
I often compare this type of magick to a vehicle's seat-belt. The device is made to protect you as much as possible from injury but has little power to prevent a car collision, leaving you the responsibility to avoid such situations that would put your protections to the test.
The first guide on here is basic and very common-sense oriented. There is no spell to go with it, just some basic rules to keep in mind when performing spells and even general energy protection as a magick practitioner.
Stay tuned, more articles are in the works to be added to the site detailing spells, objects, and other things that can help for the purpose of "protection and defense".