Crossed Lines: Ascended Masters and the Kiwis who channel them

Bronwyn Rideout - 2 April 2024

Channelling cash with Raman Pascha

In this long-awaited, and likely anti-climatic, final instalment, we’ll look at the other business dealings of Yasmeen Clark and Jono Spark. Given that their “silent” partner is an alleged and non-existent Persian court bureaucrat, their non-Pascha branded ventures are unexpectantly… mundane?

If you listened to the February 21st episode of the Yeah…Nah podcast, then you might be spoiled on some of the businesses I am discussing here.

Consultancy

In addition to Pascha, Jono Spark operates (or operated) his own counselling and consultancy firm, Jonathan Spark and Associates. And by Associates, there is just a singular Associate profiled named Malcolm Scott. Scott is a Pascha grad who trained with Jono, and keeps it just above board with a Masters’ degree in Counselling (with a thesis about Chemtrails that is worth a read in its own right) and a private practice (working out of The Herb Centre Clinic and Dispensary).

But back to Jonathan.

Spark’s specialty is business consultancy and helping employers develop an emotionally resilient and responsive culture. There is particular interest paid to men’s mental health, as most of the testimonials are from his Open Heart Calm Mind Men’s retreats. There are pointed references to working with the All Blacks and various Construction and Electrical companies.

Notably, amongst his qualifications, Spark readily promotes himself as the VP of the NZ Association of Pascha Therapists, but nowhere does he clarify exactly what (or who) Pascha is. The copyright of the site is for 2021, and has a single working link for Pascha.co.nz, and a non-working link for the NZAIPT. While the first website would make no bones about what the Pascha thing is all about, the current iteration of the NZAIPT (with a 2024 copyright) obfuscates the Pascha side of operations, and makes it sound like the name was culturally appropriated at best:

In ancient Persia, a Pascha was a spiritual advisor or guide. This training empowers you in the tradition of the spiritual human guide. Your consciously developed intuition along with the Pascha Method being the foundation of this.

However, the lines are blurred between which of Jonathan’s claims were accomplished under his own steam, and what was through the auspices of Raman and Pascha Therapy. In Vicky Anderson’s article one former All Black, Norm Maxwell, attended the Pascha Centre in 2002 and had sessions with Raman himself. It’s unclear if he maintains a close friendship with the trio in 2024, but he did help finance their now-shuttered Sundari Eco retreat. Further in Anderson’s article, Clark claims that in the 2002-2007 period they, plural, supported players from the Crusaders and All Blacks. So, while Jonathan is not telling a total fib with his claims that he worked with sportspeople and the All Blacks, it’s not telling the whole truth either. Of course, it could be argued that the Venn diagram of Jonathan the counsellor and Jonathan the Pascha Therapist is a single, flat circle. It shouldn’t be surprising that the blokes, tradies, and Rugby players of the South Island seek deeper connections in their lives than a weekend pick-up game and a Sunday sermon can provide.

Jonathan published pseudoscience, conspiracy, and anti-vaccine rhetoric well before the pandemic, which he occasionally cross-posted to Pascha-related facebook pages:

During the pandemic, Spark did post his support of the “convoy”, and repost at least one critique of the government’s response. The Pascha brand also tried to cash in on pandemic fear:

With Spark and Clark’s other ventures and collaborations, it is unlikely that these views would have negatively impacted the consultancy or even changed the clientele all that much.

Hello Sunday & 5th Street Restaurant

Hello Sunday came to be after the 2011 Earthquakes, when Pascha needed new premises. Clark and Spark found their ideal site in Sydenham, in the form of two buildings. It is likely the couple’s best-known venture. The cafe, which opened in 2014, was built in the refurbished former post office, while the Pascha side of the business would be in the former home of both Baptist and Seventh Day Adventist Congregations.

The duo brought on experienced hospo folks to take care of the cafe side of the business, but Spark still featured heavily in social media and promotional pieces for the business, while Clark gets snapped attending Awards shows. Again, the exact nature of the Pascha part is obscured in these puff pieces as being therapists or operators of a wellness centre.

The cafe was consistently packed and, having eaten there myself, I recall the food being pretty good. I am not surprised that it won a few local hospo awards, even when considering the post-quake landscape of Christchurch at the time. However, the two buildings are connected, and some walk through of the Pascha part of the building was necessary to get to the loos.

In 2018, Spark and partners opened their evening dining restaurant, 5th Street, across the road from Hello Sunday. Spark’s presence on 5th Street’s social media was minimal, although he did use the facebook accounts of both businesses to promote his personal touring company at least once.

India Personal Tours

Incorporated in New Zealand in 2017, this company offers bespoke tours throughout India. The earliest reviews for the company on Tripadvisor.com go back to 2013, and the company has multiple travel partners, so the similarity between the initials of India Personal Tours and Intuitive and Pascha Therapies are purely coincidental. The duo have hosted retreats and tours since 2015 (according to social media records) and have travelled to India, Bali, France, England, and Italy. Through this partnership, they are offering Raman retreats as well as motorcycle tours.

Sundari Eco Retreat

Closer to home Clark and Spark owned the Sundari Eco Retreat and Permaculture farm (aka Pascha Retreat) in Little River, from 2007 to November 2021. It was initially incorporated as Hawk’s Crag Holdings in 2007, with Norman Maxwell and Bruce McIntyre as co-directors. Maxwell and McIntyre ceased being directors and shareholders in 2015, and the name changed in 2019, which may or may not have been interesting timing. The Little River location would host multiple Pascha retreats, hosted local performers like Franko Heke, and was available for rent as a bed and breakfast. When Clark and Spark weren’t onsite, it appeared that their children acted as caretakers. According to Vicki Anderson’s article, devotees of Clark’s moved into the Little River area as well, upsetting the local farmers.

A 2020 version of the Sundari website retains references to the property being known as the Pascha Health and Healing Retreat. It mentions Raman Pascha, but it reads as though he is a living person who teaches there as a regular hirer.

A 2021 version of the Sundari website is better scrubbed, with no mentions of Raman Sundari whatsoever. It does, however, mention Stage Two of development, with the addition of new investors. These new shareholders include Pascha therapist Lucy Cabot-Saunders, and mention is made of retreat clinics for addiction, anxiety, and depression being run on the property throughout the year.

SOL nature

SOL Nature was a Christchurch-based company that supplied sustainable and organic health and well-being products from NZ and overseas. Clark does not appear to be involved with this company, but Spark was its sole director from 2015 to 2019, when his daughter Savahna was appointed.

Spark posted about the company intermittently in 2017 and 2018, and products were sold through the Aura Gift Shop that was located at the Pascha premises in the Hello Sunday building on Elgin Street.

The company wound up in 2023, but the Wayback Machine archives for Sol Nature’s website indicate that some parts were being updated through 2021.

Then it was 2019

Vicki Anderson’s article was released on July 13th, 2019.

On July 24th, Clark and Spark posted to social media that approximately a year prior, they were considering selling their farm, selling their restaurant, selling the Sundari retreat, and moving house. No mention was made of Anderson’s article in relation to moving ahead with some of the changes, and their claims were plausible given the shareholder turnover with Sundari at least. They briefly recommenced renting out their rooms, before leasing to a couple who would go on to buy Hello Sunday in 2020.

The couple also relocated to Governor’s Bay, and it is alleged that some adherents relocated there as well. They built a new mini-retreat/granny flat at the edge of that property, and named it Sanara Sanctuary. Like Sundari, Sanara was used for their business until Sundari itself was sold at the end of 2021. You can look through the property via the listing on the Bayleys’ Website (Can you find the picture of Raman Pascha in there?).

Onward and Outwards

While Clark and Spark were out of hospo and out of farming, they weren’t out of business. The Pascha side of things continued, albeit with the numerous hiccups of the pandemic. Given how heavily face-to-face their business model was with tours, retreats, cafes, and Pascha Therapy, Spark doesn’t reveal where there were any struggles in that regard despite his enmity to the vaccine. Regardless of the condition of their bank balance, they seemed to find life balance by moving further into entertainment and events.

The Governor’s Bay house was sold for under one million, and the duo moved to India with business visas. It currently appears that the intent is to expand on the travel and tourism side of their business through boutique experiences. For all of Jonathan’s complaints on social media about the mandates, it appears they have finally cottoned on that their grift doesn’t require them to be in New Zealand; lessons that Blair Styra and Bruce Lyon learnt long ago.

It will be interesting to see if this dream gets off the ground. And it may very well happen. Spark and Clark have had some successes, built strong relationships, and have connections that would draw people to make the ashram/retreat dream achievable. All of it made possible because no government agency has the will or the remit to investigate the NZAIPT and point out that all Clark is doing is using a contrived European accent with her eyes closed.