Our Story

Hi! I’m Stephanie — founder of The Luminary & Co (originally known as Mose Mary and Me) and a founding steward of the Assembly of Universal Becoming.

My journey began in the winter of 2015, after I lost my job. I was a comedian without work, without money, and still deeply committed to giving Christmas gifts to my friends. After a lot of brainstorming (and a little divine nonsense), I landed on the idea that would change my life: prayer candles featuring my friends’ favorite icons and comedians. A friend’s social media shout-out about those gifts unexpectedly launched what would become The Luminary & Co.

I started with $0.02 in my bank account and donated plasma to fund my very first batch. When it came time to open my shop, my roommate loaned me $200 — enough to escape the plasma donation cycle — and soon I was supplying my first retail partner, The Silver Room. The journey took a major turn when Peaches Records in New Orleans brought my products in wholesale, prompting a relocation, expansion, and eventually the move into a proper studio space in River Ridge, Louisiana, with a small team of incredible humans.

Over the years, The Luminary grew into more than a candle company. It became a creative refuge, a fundraiser, a supply house for mutual aid, and a quiet spiritual home for people who didn’t quite fit inside traditional boxes. What began as a survival project revealed itself as something much deeper: the early infrastructure of what would become the Assembly of Universal Becoming — a living spiritual community devoted to collective care, creativity, sacred absurdity, and the radical act of being human together.

Today, The Luminary & Co functions as the gift shop, fundraising, and merchandise wing of the Assembly of Universal Becoming. Every candle, print, and offering helps support community gatherings, direct relief, creative projects, and the ongoing work of building a softer, stranger, more humane world.

When you visit our shop, you’ll find:

The Devotional Collection — our original designs that started it all
The Luminary Collection — bold, cosmic reimaginings of modern-day icons
The Chelsea Merrill Collection — original paintings transformed into devotional art, celebrating individuality and creative sovereignty

Looking back, I’m still in awe that something born from necessity, plasma donations, and a little holy mischief grew into a living community ecosystem.

It’s been a wild ride. And it’s still becoming.

— Stephanie

P.S. We believe deeply in giving back to the communities that helped us grow — and to individuals around the world who are trying to ignite a light of their own.
You can explore the causes and community projects supported by the Assembly here.