[Oh, if only Gansey were here to be a patient teacher with all his scholarly bookishness. Ronan is far less eloquent, more proficient with practical matters.]

I can't say for sure if it's the same thing, but it sounds like you're talking about the same kind of energy that's found on ley lines back in my world. Unpredictable shit. It can make weird stuff happen, the kinda stuff everyone else is calling magic, but more scientific types might call electromagnetic phenomena. Anyway, there's some sacrifice involved in waking it up. "Crushed up souls" isn't too far off.