Trading with the Laurel Sumac

I have to go to some forest and eat a berry...

"I have to eat what from where?" Naomi asked, looking up from the book she was reading. "Morgan, you never told me I have to go on some sort of wilderness adventure."
"I couldn't have known you would, Naomi. Each family has their own customs and rituals. Think of it as a... a rite of passage. Each family has some sort of thing you need to do to sort of... graduate to practicing on your own. Here, let me see that," Morgan walked over to the table Naomi was working at and moved the book so she could read it. The book wasn't very think, but the text was small and the pages were fairly thin. She turned to the title page to see the copyright. "Hm, 1904. This hasn't been updated in a while. But chances are the custom is still the custom. Are you sure you didn't see another updated one on the shelf?"
"This was the only one," Naomi said, starting to get up to look on the shelves again.
"Wait, hang on, I'll ring Mrs. Mabel. She'll know if there's an update to your family's book. Give me a minute," Morgan closed the book and walked upstairs to the store front. Naomi continued looking at the shelves and found Morgan's family journals and grimoires. She was just about to pick the most recent when Morgan walked through the basement door saying, "No newer ones. That's the most recent. So, let's see what it says."
"I have to trade with a tree. I have to go to some forest and eat a berry and give it my hair. What does this even mean? What kind of custom is that?" Naomi said, slumping back on her stool.
"It's your family custom, so stop complaining. You have to do this to... well, let's see what you have to do this for." Morgan turned to the page for 'Harnessing the Family Power.' "You know it makes sense that this is the most recent, since your parents didn't have the gift. They would have written their own and you would have known all about this. About us."
"There was a lot they never told me," Naomi mumbled.
"I'm sure there was a lot they didn't know, hon. Now, here it is," Morgan read silently for a minute. "This isn't so bad, Naomi. In fact, I think you'll be quite surprised, and quite happy with the outcome. And this isn't far at all! Not at all. In fact, we could walk there from here. We won't, but we could. Have you heard of the Laurel sumac tree?"
"Laurel what now?"
"Laurel sumac. It makes sense, your last name. Laurina. And the tree is the Malosma laurina. Looks like there's one in Griffith Park that serves as the conduit for your family's connection to ley lines. It's actually quite brilliant," Morgan said more to herself than to Naomi.
"Morgan I'm not following, what are you saying?" Naomi asked, now standing behind Morgan to read over her shoulder.
Morgan closed the book and got up. "Come on," she said, "Let's grab a few things and get in the car, I'll explain on the way."
***
"Let me get this right," Naomi said as they turned into the park entrance. "There are many different kinds of practices, and each witch has a specialty or talent they hone. That I get. But what you are telling me is that my family has the kind of magic in which I don't have to use charms or potions or write spells?"
Morgan started up the very windy road that lead to the top of the park. She glanced at Naomi and said, "Yes, Naomi. That is what I am telling you. All of that stuff you see me doing every day in my basement? The stuff that I've been teaching you, and we've been working together to create your style? Which, I may add, your signature is quite unique. You can continue to do all of that, and really you should. You need to get better, and it has to be second nature, your niche, I mean. But what the book says is that your family blood is able to bypass the material artifacts. By establishing and keeping a connection to Earth, you can use the energy contained within to invoke your intentions. It's really quite fascinating, and very extremely rare. You're the first witch I've known that has this kind of power. And I've lived a very long time."
"This sounds too wild to be true, Morgan," Naomi said. "Do you think my parents just didn't know they had this?"
"Naomi, I think it's more than likely that either they didn't know about this connection, and that's why they never explained anything, or they did know, and they just didn't want to have any part of it," Morgan said. "It can be very dangerous magic. You will have to be very cautious." They were at the location, and Morgan pulled off to the side. "Okay, we're supposed to be where your family tree is. Do you remember what it looks like? The Laurel sumac?"
Naomi described the tree as best as she could, but then thought better. "I'll just have another look, and I need to re-read the bit about what I have to do when I get to it." Naomi looked at the sketch in the book. It was a very broad tree, with leaves about the size of her hand that folded down their middle, and very small flowers. The text under the tree said the flowers were white and pink and the leaves felt leathery. The tree was down the slope about 25 feet. That wouldn't be easy. "Morgan, will you go down with me?"
"Of course, I planned on it. Let's get a move on," Morgan got out of the car and grabbed her pack.
The two of them looked down the slope for the tree they were after. "I think that's it," Naomi said pointing. They started down the steep slope, when Naomi slipped and slid down all the way to the tree trunk. "Ouch!"
Morgan tried to contain her laughter, "Are you okay? That looked pretty bad."
"I'd feel better if you weren't laughing. That hurt!" Naomi said rubbing her bum. "Yeah yeah, you try sliding down the mountain and not break any bones."
"I'm sorry, hon, here, let me help," Morgan said reaching her hand out. Naomi took it and pulled herself up. "Okay, you ready then?"
"I need to find the spot... here it is," Naomi walked to a spot on the ground just near the trunk. She didn't know how she knew that was the spot, she just knew. "Hand me the shovel?" Morgan handed her the small gardening shovel from her pack, and Naomi dug a whole about a foot deep. "Scissors," Naomi said, handing back the shovel. She unpinned her hair and with the scissors, cut a lock of curls and placed it into the hole.
After covering it up, Naomi placed both hands on the soil and asked Morgan to read the incantation. Naomi repeated it, speaking to the soil, "I, Naomi Laurina, call upon the energy of Earth and my ancestors to bring forward my gift and to guide me through this life and after." A flash of orange lines, like electricity, glowed from the ground and through both Naomi and the tree. Naomi's eyes shot open; they also glowed. 
Morgan gasped. Were those ghosts she saw in the tree? She took a step back, not knowing if she was doing that out of fear or respect.
Naomi's eyes returned to normal. She said, "Don't be afraid, Morgan. That part is over."
"What was that, Naomi? You looked like lightning," Morgan said.
"I felt everyone, everything in that moment, a rush of energy that almost tore me apart, but I knew it wouldn't. It felt like an eternity and a single moment at the same time... What did it look like? Oh wait, I have to also eat a berry... Do you see any berries?"
Morgan was still dumbfounded. She timidly shook her head back and forth, "Um, no... there are only flowers, I think."
"That will have to do," Naomi said. "Oh, I see a berry... I'll just eat both." She took one of the tiny white flowers and a berry from the tree. "Thank you," she said to the tree, and popped the flower in her mouth. "It doesn't taste all that great," she said. "Morgan, thank you for coming with me, I understand now. The book says it will take some time for my hair to decompose and become part of the tree, so until then, you and I have a lot of learning to do."
Morgan finally came to her senses, and reached out to put her arm through Naomi's as they started climbing back up the slope. "Yes, hon. We have a lot of learning to do."