She Wasn’t Born a Witch. She Survived Long Enough
Alessandra Graziella Di'Stefano
“Some women don’t inherit power.
They earn it by refusing to disappear.”
I was forged, not chosen.
The kind of forging that happens quietly
pressure without witnesses, heat without mercy.
I learned early that survival sharpens instinct
until intuition becomes law.
This is the first spell:
Trust what stays when everything else lies.
I learned the body is an altar long before I learned the word.
It keeps record.
It remembers the exact moment something crossed a line
and stores it behind the ribs for later use.
This is the second spell:
Listen before the wound has to scream.
They think witches are born loud.
They’re wrong.
We are trained by loss, by repetition, by watching the same pattern
return with a different face.
We do not rush.
We wait until the truth ripens enough to be undeniable.
This is the third spell:
Patience is not passivity it is aim.
I do not work magic to control others.
That is a beginner’s hunger.
I work magic to remain intact
in a world that profits from women fragmenting themselves.
I withdraw my energy like a blade returning to its sheath.
I bless by absence.
This is the fourth spell:
What I remove myself from withers.
I keep my rituals simple because my life has already been elaborate.
Fire to remember heat.
Salt to remember boundaries.
Breath to remember I am still here.
Nothing decorative survives me anymore.
This is the fifth spell:
Strip it down until only truth remains.
If you are looking for light, keep walking.
If you are looking for comfort, look elsewhere.
But if you are looking for a woman
who has met herself in the dark
and did not beg to be spared
then stand still.
Lower your voice.
Do not lie.
This is the final spell:
I am not afraid of what I have become.
I am afraid of what I would be
if I ever chose to forget.
— Alessandra Graziella Di’Stefano
Dance Under Gypsy Moonlight
Innovation (quietly spoken, never announced)
I keep what survives the fire.
I return what was never mine to carry.
I walk forward without explaining the smoke.
Some women are not dangerous because they curse
they are dangerous because they remember.
#WitchPoetry #DarkFeminine #SurvivalAsPower #ShadowWork #EmbodiedTruth
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Reading this powerful piece reminded me deeply of the transformative nature of survival and personal evolution. Life’s challenges often demand a quiet kind of strength—one that isn’t loud or boisterous but is forged in moments of solitude and pain. Like Alessandra’s depiction of magic as a tool for remaining whole, I’ve found that true empowerment arises not from controlling others but from embracing the scars that life leaves us and using those lessons as a foundation to rebuild ourselves. In my own journey, I've discovered that patience is essential. Waiting for truth to emerge clearly, much like one of the spells mentioned, helps avoid rash decisions and cultivates a grounded sense of self. The rituals Alessandra describes, such as fire to remember heat or salt to remember boundaries, echoed my own practices of mindfulness and self-care that serve as everyday reminders of my limits and strength. This poem also resonates with the idea that not all power is inherited. Many women carve out their own power through persistence and resilience. It’s a collective reminder that inner strength often comes from surviving repeatedly—recognizing patterns, learning boundaries, and choosing absence as a form of protection and self-respect. This approach deeply challenges the traditional tropes of what it means to be "dangerous" or powerful. Finally, the emphasis on body memory and intuition speaks to the importance of listening to oneself before wounds become visible. This encourages a proactive attentiveness to emotional well-being that many overlook. I believe we all can benefit from tuning into that inner altar Alessandra mentions, guarding our energy carefully and living with intention. Her words invite us to honor our own complex experiences without glamorizing pain, instead using them to nourish growth and authenticity.
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