Arcane Diffusion

An excerpt from Mechanics of the Arcane by Emanuel Ralawaih:

Power - at least magical power - as a rule does not like to be concentrated. An arcane gradient refers to a difference between the level of magical investment/power of two creatures/objects that are connected, most commonly by close proximity but ocassionally through other methods such as linking two souls via a ritual. Although magic itself is not sentient and should not be thoughts of as having it's own preferences, there is a natural tendency of magical energy to move from an area of high concentration to a connected area of low concentration. This movement can be accomplished in many ways, some subtle and some violent, and predicting the way in which arcane diffusion occurs is notoriously difficult.
For example, if a powerful Sorcerer invested with raw magic were to touch a simple, non-magical peasant, there would be an arcane gradient. Normally a sorcerer would have innate barriers to prevent their magic from leaking out at all times, but if those barriers were to be lowered, their magic might "jolt" into the peasant in the form of electricity, it might imbue them with similar powers, or it might turn them into a sheep.