Journey One: Once Upon a Time

This journey begins with a matchbox, a candle, and your imagination. You might have received a slender taper candle, hand wrapped in craft paper and twine, with a vintage matchbox and my card at a Women’s Networking Event. These matches came from a well-traveled woman. A life full of dinners, arguments, celebrations, perhaps even mischief.

When you hold that matchbox, you hold a spark of her story. What do you see? A quiet night by the fire in the 70’s? A moment stolen in a smoky bar?

Your challenge:

Hold your matchbox, Wonder about it. Where did it come from? What did the restaurant, bar, or hotel look like? What might they have eaten or worn? Who was laughing? Who was arguing? Light your candle and secure in a safe place and begin with 10 words. Keep going. Write it down - one line or a whole page. Extinguish your candle and let the smoke rise with your story your brought into existence!

If you choose to submit your story:

Tell me what you imagine about your matchbox - and you might win two free tickets to a future event! Submit to Susan@curiono7.com by October 12, 2025

What is Phillumeny?

Phillumeny is the art of collecting match-related treasures - matchboxes, matchbooks, covers, and labels. The word comes from the Greek phil (“loving”) and Latin lumen (“light”), literally meaning lover of light. Phillumenists see matchbooks as tiny time capsules - pieces of art, history, and memory. Some are even worth pretty good money to collectors!

Why It Matters:

Vintage matchbooks capture a moment in time: A restaurant that no longer exists, a faraway place that calls you to translate their meaning and do some research? They are fragments of real lives just waiting for someone to notice them again. Storytelling is how we stitch ourselves together - past to present, stranger to stranger. This isn’t just about an object. It’s about remembering that we are leaving little sparks for someone else to find.

Curious? You might just be a budding phillumenist yourself.