42 | What I'm letting go of this fall

And what an ancient Finnish harvest festival showed me about fresh starts

Samantha Garner
October 15, 2025

Deadmedia shares monthly writing updates, folklore & history inspirations, and exclusive content from SF/F author Samantha Garner. Learn more here.

Hi everyone,

This time of year always feels a little haunted, in the best way. Something shifts in me after the fall equinox. To me it feels like a doorway into newness more than the calendar’s end does. ⁠My rituals become more deliberate: earlier candles, slower walks, and of course, decorative goddamn gourds.

As I mentioned in my last letter, I wanted to talk a bit about Kekri, the ancient Finnish & Karelian harvest festival. Maybe you’ll agree that it’s perfect for this time of the year.

The thin veil between two years

Kekri fell at the end of the agricultural year, sometime between Michaelmas (September 29) and All Saint's Day. People used to go by a lunisolar calendar, and Kekri happened between the lunar and solar years. The veil was thin in this liminal time. Ancestor spirits moved freely in our world, gathering at the edge of the yard on the evening of the first day. They were approached with respect, led to the sauna (of course) with honour.

Kekri was an unusual time with its own behaviours. Only quiet and clean tasks were permitted. There were feasts to celebrate the harvest and bonfires with loved ones living and dead. People indulged in divination to gauge the weather and next year's important events. They made lanterns from turnips. Friends and neighbours dressed up as a kekripukki, or a "Kekri goat," wearing masks and furs. They came around demanding food and drink. If their demands weren't met, they might break your stove.

Kekri celebrations mostly faded with urbanization but there are still some celebrations today, like the burning of the straw kekripukki in Kajaani. You may have noticed that Kekri sounds similar to other autumn harvest festivals or even Mari Lwyd and Newfoundland’s mummers closer to Christmastime. Many modern Finns actually prefer Kekri to Halloween.

Creative harvest, clarity in what’s falling away.

Early autumn is a good time for clearing a slate and preparing for newness, Kekri-style. Only quiet and clean tasks are allowed: I’m working on draft 2 of The Other Air (which, incidentally, deals with ancestor spirits). I’m drifing through Corrode the Song and making notes for new chapters. I’m planning exciting things on Patreon in 2026. There’s a calmer energy now compared to January, and maybe that’s why I feel more energized internally, more willing to let certain things go and give my attention to the growth of other things. And all yr harvest-related analogies. It’s good stuff!

I did this quick tarot spread for the Autumn Equinox, thinking about growth and balance.

I’ve been full of so many creative ideas this year. It’s a great problem to have, but it has been hard at times to discern what ideas actually need my attention. The second card, Ace of Swords, is an interesting one. Upright it represents new possibilities, starting new projects. But because that card represented what I could leave behind, I decided to flip its usual representation. So I’m going to leave behind creative mental clutter. I’m going to face up to the fact that I just can’t pursue every cool idea right now, and will focus only on a small few.

The Tower representing the year’s growth is encouraging. It’s all about transformation. Saying goodbye to old projects feels less scary because I’ve spent all year generating cool ideas. I’m not going to suffer if I set some aside. In fact, it’ll help the remaining ones flourish.

O god, I’m careening toward another harvest analogy. A good sign to stop here.

Speaking of Patreon…

Things have been evolving in my creativity and my life. Starting in January 2026, I’ll be shifting my Patreon to monthly reflections on folklore, cultural discoveries, and fragments that don’t always make it into my fiction. It’ll be part cultural storytelling and part personal meditation on belonging in the in-between.

I’ll be retiring my current Patreon tiers and introducing two new ones. The first tier will focus on the monthly reflections and a “field note” of complementary personal history or ritual. The second tier will include those things plus some cool behind-the-scenes extras and deeper folklore examinations. There’ll also be low-cost downloadable seasonal and ritual guides available to everyone.

I’ve been regularly researching stories from Filipino & Finnish culture and having a blast. I’m excited to be able to share these liminal spaces and explore further into my writing life with you. I’ll share a brief sneak peek as part of next month’s letter.

As always, there is absolutely no obligation to support me on Patreon - you being here with me at Deadmedia is more than enough, and highly appreciated. Nothing here will change!

I want to hear from you!

Thanks for reading Deadmedia today. What are you clearing room for in your life lately? I’d love to hear what you thought—leave me a comment or hit Reply to send me an email!

Talk soon,
-Sg.

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