The year 1925 marked a turning point in Margarethe Held’s life: she made contact with the afterlife and communicated with her deceased husband and father through a system of raps. Twenty-five years later, in 1950, she began drawing and, within a few months, produced three hundred pastel drawings, all dictated by spirits.
Through these images, the god Shiva instructed her to communicate to mortals that the universe holds secrets, that every being has a destiny of their own, and that nothing happens by chance. Held subsequently received further commands from Shiva. In particular, she wrote a book, published in 1977, in which she recorded the messages she received and described her journeys to various planets. Mystical visions also led her to create portraits of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Among the faces she drew — the dead, gods, spirits, and elves — were the “good dead,” who possess magical and protective powers; the “evil dead,” who bring misfortune and catastrophe; and also elves who help people accomplish their tasks.