Hearing complaints of a ruined Thanksgiving due to an earlier and earlier Black “Friday,” which now is really Black Thanksgiving Evening, I have to note that the United States’ economy is based on shopping.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is calculated as “private consumption + gross investment + government spending + (exports − imports).” In the US economy, private consumption contributes 70% of GDP.

According to the National Retail Federation, for some retailers the holiday season is 20 percent to 40 percent of sales. In 2011, holiday sales were 19.5% of all retail sales.

So what would happen to our economy if we truly did put the “Christ” back in Christmas? If it wasn’t the season of giving presents, which retailers would fail?

This holiday season, with the sun in generous Sagittarius, Mars will be traveling through practical and business-oriented Capricorn. For Capricorn suns, that means more energy, more success and more drive. For Capricorn moons, that means more compulsion for these things which can lead to an increased need to control the environment.

For business, it’s a good placement. But later this week Mars will conjunct Pluto, also traveling through Capricorn so there may be some business news along the lines of a big company or endeavor no longer in one piece, shaken at its core and tumbling into many small parts.

Mars and Pluto in Capricorn are squaring Uranus in Aries indicating that there is still a dormant fault line lurking under the holiday cheer. Saturn is trine in Scorpio lending some stability during what could be a month of some instability.

It’s business time.

One of our largest businesses here in the US happens to have Mars in Capricorn . . .

Walmart

Walmart was founded in 1962 but incorporated on Halloween Day in 1969. Walmart, then, is a Scorpio with moon in Cancer, Saturn in Taurus and Mars in Capricorn. There’s a bunch of Libra in the chart – Uranus, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury – which would make you think Walmart would be a little more attractive.

Maybe Walmart is attractive to the penny-pinching Mars in Capricorn and hoarding moon in Cancer. To a person of these signs, with the added Saturn in Taurus, seeing a big storeroom full of stuff provides a sense of comfort and security.

According to the Wikipedia site, Walmart employs 2.2 million people. Target, by contrast, employs a mere 365,000.

It’s Walmart time.

I’ve noticed a general dislike of Walmart while at the same time noticing a great liking for MBAs. I know the many reasons why Walmart is disliked (labor relations, pricing tyranny, locating on disputed lands, running small businesses to the ground, etc.) but find it odd that a business that does so well doesn’t get some appreciation from a generation that loves business enough to study it.

But that’s just my lone observation here in Ohio’s capital. It’s possible around the US there is more respect (a Capricorn desire) for a company that started as a little Five and Dime and has grown to the largest retailer in the world (a Capricorn story of the self-made man).

Why don’t we love Walmart? Why don’t we love this incredible success story? Don’t those who go into business see themselves as going “big” at some time?

I’m not defending Walmart’s business practices here, I’m just trying to understand our love-hate relationship to the very foundations of our economy.

Walmart Season

Mars entered Capricorn November 18 and will be in Capricorn until December 27.

Mars in Capricorn will be good for Walmart’s growth, but bad for Walmart’s family as Mars opposes moon in Cancer.

Saturn transiting Scorpio is conjunct Walmart’s natal sun opposite Saturn in Taurus. That means there could be tax issues or merchandise issues. Will there be taxes from exporters or tariff on importers?

Mars creates the drive but the Saturn in Scorpio takes in the form of taxes or money due to others. Is there a huge loan maturing?

With Capricorn, Cancer, Scorpio and Taurus in the chart, there is definitely a good stewardship of money and resources, of the kind we call penny-pinching. The 2.2 million employees are probably aware of this.

When we buy a product, we want the best product at the lowest prices. Unfortunately, our employers want the same – the best person at the lowest price (or a market price that reflects the value of the employee in certain roles).

This holiday season should be good for Walmart and the news already suggests Walmart is at the top of the selling competition for Black Friday.

Let’s raise a toast to Mars in Capricorn – may this holiday season produce the highest holiday sales ever contributing to a healthy economy and employed workforce!