@BeAware this is an ax I grind because people need to be aware:
NO, there is no way to make your posts private so that there’s no way for anyone to see them without your permission.
Anyone posting to Fediverse need to be aware that by virtue of how this thing is engineered, there is absolutely no guarantee of such privacy.
A lot of people are posting things they think are private when they’re not, and I find that hugely problematic.