Remember when powerful women were prosecuted as witches?

Let’s talk about something most women feel… but rarely name.

So many of us are walking around with a quiet, invisible force holding us back — and that force is often inside of us. Not because we’re broken. Not because we’re weak. But because we were programmed that way.

As women, we’ve inherited centuries of messaging that taught us:

Don’t be too loud.
Don’t want too much.
Don’t outshine anyone.
Keep the peace.
Be agreeable.
Don’t talk about money.
Don’t take up too much space.

We didn’t consciously choose these beliefs — they were passed down through culture, religion, family systems, and a world that historically punished powerful women.

And I mean literally punished.

Let’s not forget: For hundreds of years, women who owned land, held knowledge, practiced healing, or simply stood in their own authority were labeled as witches.

Not because they were doing harm.But because they had power.

Many of the women accused during witch trials in Europe and early America weren’t casting spells — they were:

✅ Midwives

✅ Herbalists

✅ Business-owning widows

✅ Women who had property

✅ Women who didn’t “need” a man to survive

✅ Women respected by their communities

Their independence threatened the systems of the time.

And the message became burned into the collective subconscious:

A powerful woman is dangerous.A wealthy woman is a threat.An independent woman must be controlled.

And even today, generations later, this old programming whispers through us in quieter ways:

“Who am I to charge that much?”
“What if people think I’m selfish or greedy?”
“I don’t want to outgrow my friends or partner.”
“I’ll speak up once I’m more prepared.”
“I don’t want to be judged.”

But here’s the truth I want every woman here to hear:

You are not the problem. You are the programming. And you can rewrite it.

We may have inherited these fears, but we don’t have to keep them. We are the generation that gets to break the cycle.We are the ones who get to become visible, wealthy, powerful, sovereign — without guilt, fear, or apology.

You can be the woman who once held herself back…and the woman who chooses to rise.

Both can be true. And both can change today.

What’s one belief you’ve outgrown — or want to outgrow — on your journey to undependence? Share it below so we can rise together.

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