Before you touch a chart, read this. Every candle on your chart is telling you a story: who was in control, how strong they were, and whether they're losing their grip. This guide breaks down exactly how to read that story. Master this first. Structure, supply & demand, entries: all of it depends on whether you can look at a single candle and know what just happened.
The Core Concept
What Makes a Candle
Every single candle on your chart represents a fight between two forces: buyers pushing price up and sellers pushing price down. The candle shows you who won.
Buyers vs Sellers
Think of every candle as a tug-of-war. Buyers want price to go up. They're placing buy orders, driving demand, pushing the price higher. Sellers want price to go down. They're placing sell orders, adding supply, pushing the price lower. When the candle closes, the body tells you who won that particular fight, and the wicks tell you how messy the fight was along the way.
Interactive
Who's Winning the Fight?
Click each scenario to see how the candle forms on the price scale.
Buyers Dominate
Buyers are fully in control. Price opens at the low and closes at the high with zero pushback from sellers. No wicks means sellers never got a single moment of control. This creates a bullish marubozu.
The Story
The Foundation
Candlestick Structure
Before learning patterns, you need to understand the anatomy of every candle: the body, the wicks, and the four price points that define them.
The Body
The range between Open and Close
The body shows you the result of the fight between buyers and sellers. A large body means one side dominated. The body color tells you who won: pink (bullish) means buyers closed higher, black (bearish) means sellers closed lower.
The Upper Wick
Price that was reached but not held
Extends from the top of the body to the high. Represents prices buyers pushed to but couldn't hold. A long upper wick means buyers tried to go higher and got rejected.
The Lower Wick
Price that was tested but rejected
Extends from the bottom of the body to the low. Represents prices sellers pushed to but couldn't hold. A long lower wick means sellers tried to push lower and got rejected.
Reading Color
Bullish vs Bearish
The color of a candle tells you one thing: did price close higher or lower than it opened?
Bullish (Pink) Candle
Close is above Open. Buyers were in control. Bottom of body = open, top = close.
Bearish (Black) Candle
Close is below Open. Sellers were in control. Top of body = open, bottom = close.
Interactive
Drag the slider: Who wins the fight?
Buyers
Sellers
50%
Even fight. Neither side has an edge.
50%
Even fight. Neither side has an edge.
DojiNeither side won. Total indecision.
The open and close swap positions depending on the candle's direction. On a bullish candle, the open is at the bottom and the close is at the top. On a bearish candle, it's flipped. The high is always the very top and the low is always the very bottom, regardless of direction.
The Four Price Points
Open, High, Low & Close
Every candle is built from four numbers. Tap each card to see where that price point sits on the candle.
O
Open
The price when the candle's time period started.
↻ Tap to see on candle
Open
Bottom of body on bullish. Top on bearish.
Tap to flip back
H
High
The highest price reached. Always the tip of the upper wick.
↻ Tap to see on candle
High
Always the very tip of the upper wick.
Tap to flip back
L
Low
The lowest price reached. Always the bottom of the lower wick.
↻ Tap to see on candle
Low
Always the very bottom of the lower wick.
Tap to flip back
C
Close
The final price. The most important number: it tells you who won.
↻ Tap to see on candle
Close
Top of body on bullish, bottom on bearish.
Tap to flip back
Why the Close matters most
The close is the final verdict. Price can spike up or dump down during a candle: that shows up in the wicks. But where price settled at the end is what the body reflects. The wick tells you what was attempted. The close tells you what was decided.
Try It Yourself
Build a Candle
The High and Low are fixed. Drag Open and Close to draw the body and see how the candle changes.
High (fixed)$180
Low (fixed)$100
What This Candle Is
Bullish Candle
What It's Telling You
What to Look For
Reading Strength
Not all candles carry the same weight. Here's how to tell a strong candle from a weak one at a glance.
Strong Candle
A strong candle has a large body relative to its wicks: ideally with very short or no wicks at all. A big pink body with tiny wicks = strong buyers. A big black body with tiny wicks = strong sellers.
Weak / Indecision Candle
A weak candle has a small body relative to its wicks. Long wicks with a small body mean both sides fought but neither won decisively.
Rejection Candle
A rejection candle has one long wick and a small body on the opposite end. The long wick shows price tried to go in one direction and got slammed back. We go deep on these in the Rejection section below.
Visual Scale
The Strength Spectrum
Every candle falls somewhere on this spectrum. Train your eye to place any candle instantly.
↑
Bullish Patterns
Reversal & Continuation
Strong Bullish Continuation
Bullish Marubozu
aka: Full Body CandlePure buyer dominance
What It Looks Like
A long pink body with no wicks. Open is the low, close is the high.
What It Means
Absolute buyer dominance. Zero resistance from sellers at any point.
↑ Strong Bullish Continuation
How Price Moved
1Opens at the low
2Buyers push up the entire session, no pullback
3Closes at the high
Bullish Reversal
Hammer
aka: Bullish Pin BarFound at bottom of downtrends
What It Looks Like
Body takes up the top half with a long lower wick taking up the bottom half. Little to no upper wick.
What It Means
Sellers pushed price down hard, but buyers stepped in and drove price almost all the way back. Rejection of lower prices.
↑ Bullish Reversal Signal
How Price Moved
1Opens near the high
2Sellers push down aggressively
3Buyers reject the low and rally back up
4Closes near the open, small body at top
Bullish Reversal
Inverted Hammer
aka: Inverse Pin BarFound at bottom of downtrends
What It Looks Like
Body takes up the bottom half with a long upper wick taking up the top half.
What It Means
Buyers tried to push up but couldn't hold it. After a downtrend, signals weakening sell pressure. Needs confirmation.
↑ Bullish Reversal (needs confirmation)
How Price Moved
1Opens near the low
2Buyers push up sharply
3Sellers pull it back down
4Closes near open
Bullish Reversal
Dragonfly Doji
aka: T-Bar DojiMaximum lower wick rejection
What It Looks Like
Small body at the top (~25%) with a long lower wick (~75%).
What It Means
Hammer taken to the extreme. Sellers dumped price hard, buyers rejected nearly all of it. One of the strongest single-candle reversal signals.
↑ Strong Bullish Reversal
How Price Moved
1Opens near the top
2Sellers dump to the low
3Buyers reject everything, rally all the way back
4Closes near open, tiny body at top
↓
Bearish Patterns
Reversal & Continuation
Strong Bearish Continuation
Bearish Marubozu
aka: Full Body Sell CandlePure seller dominance
What It Looks Like
A long black body with no wicks. Open is the high, close is the low.
What It Means
Total seller dominance. Zero buyer resistance.
↓ Strong Bearish Continuation
How Price Moved
1Opens at the high
2Sellers push down the entire session
3Closes at the low
Bearish Reversal
Shooting Star
aka: Bearish Inverted PinFound at top of uptrends
What It Looks Like
Body takes up the bottom half with a long upper wick taking up the top half.
What It Means
Buyers pushed price up aggressively but sellers completely rejected the move.
↓ Bearish Reversal
How Price Moved
1Opens near the low
2Buyers spike up aggressively
3Sellers reject and slam it down
4Closes near open
Bearish Reversal
Hanging Man
aka: Bearish Pin BarFound at top of uptrends
What It Looks Like
Visually identical to the Hammer. The difference is context: this appears at the top of an uptrend.
What It Means
Even though buyers recovered, sellers pushed price down far enough to be a warning sign. Needs bearish confirmation.
↓ Bearish Reversal Warning
How Price Moved
1Opens near the high
2Sellers dump aggressively
3Buyers recover, but the damage is done
4Closes near open
Bearish Reversal
Gravestone Doji
aka: Inverted T DojiMaximum upper wick rejection
What It Looks Like
Small body at the bottom (~25%) with a long upper wick (~75%).
What It Means
Buyers rallied and got completely rejected. Maximum rejection of higher prices.
↓ Strong Bearish Reversal
How Price Moved
1Opens near the bottom
2Buyers push up to the high
3Sellers reject every point
4Closes near open, tiny body at bottom
⟷
Indecision Patterns
Neutral / Potential Reversal
Weakening Trend
Spinning Top
aka: Neutral CandleTrend losing momentum
What It Looks Like
A visible body with shorter wicks on both sides.
What It Means
A tug-of-war where one side barely edged out. After a strong trend, signals the trend is losing steam.
⟷ Weakening Trend
How Price Moved
1Opens mid-range
2Pushes higher
3Drops below open
4Closes near open, no conviction
Indecision
Doji
aka: Standard DojiWatch the next candle
What It Looks Like
Tiny body with long wicks above and below. Open and close are nearly identical.
What It Means
Perfect indecision. The market hasn't decided. Always wait for confirmation.
⟷ Indecision / Watch Next Candle
How Price Moved
1Opens mid-range
2Buyers push up
3Sellers push below open
4Closes at the open, nobody won
?
What Is This Candle Telling You?
Interactive · Tap to Reveal
Now that you've seen the patterns, test yourself. Look at each candle below no names, no hints, just the shape. Decide who was in control, whether it's strong or weak, and what happened during the candle. Then tap the card to check your answer. Work through these with your accountability partner.
Candle 01
What is this candle telling you?
↻ Tap to reveal
Answer
Bullish Marubozu
↑ Strong Bullish Continuation
Pure buyer dominance. No wicks means price opened at the low and closed at the high - buyers were in control the entire candle without a single moment of pushback from sellers. This is the strongest possible bullish signal from a single candle.
Tap to flip back
Candle 02
What is this candle telling you?
↻ Tap to reveal
Answer
Hammer
↑ Bullish Reversal (at bottom of downtrend)
Sellers pushed price down aggressively (long lower wick) but buyers stepped in and drove it back up near the open. The long lower wick = rejection of lower prices. Sellers tried and failed. If you see this at the bottom of a move, it's telling you selling pressure is exhausted.
Tap to flip back
Candle 03
What is this candle telling you?
↻ Tap to reveal
Answer
Gravestone Doji
↓ Strong Bearish Reversal
Open, close, and low are all at the bottom - that long upper wick means buyers tried to rally and got completely rejected. Every single point of upside was given back. Price closed right where it opened. This is maximum rejection of higher prices.
Tap to flip back
Candle 04
What is this candle telling you?
↻ Tap to reveal
Answer
Long-Legged Doji
⟷ Extreme Indecision / Volatility
Massive wicks in both directions with zero body - price went way up AND way down, but closed exactly where it opened. Total chaos, total indecision. Both sides fought hard and nobody won. Often appears right before a major move. Stay alert.
Tap to flip back
Candle 05
What is this candle telling you?
↻ Tap to reveal
Answer
Shooting Star
↓ Bearish Reversal (at top of uptrend)
Buyers pushed price way up (long upper wick) but sellers rejected the move completely and slammed it back down to close near the open. The long upper wick = rejection of higher prices. After an uptrend, this is a warning that the top may be in.
Tap to flip back
Candle 06
What is this candle telling you?
↻ Tap to reveal
Answer
Bearish Marubozu
↓ Strong Bearish Continuation
Total seller dominance. No wicks means price opened at the high and closed at the low - sellers were in control the entire candle. Buyers didn't show up at any point. This is the strongest possible bearish signal from a single candle.
Tap to flip back
⚡
Rejection Candles: Deep Dive
Critical Concept
Rejection candles are the single most important candle type you'll learn to read in this cohort. Every strategy we teach - S&D scalping, day trading, London X, New York X - depends on your ability to identify rejection in real time. This section goes deeper than the pattern cards.
What is a Rejection Candle?
A rejection candle is any candle with one long wick and a small body on the opposite end. The long wick tells you that price moved aggressively in one direction - and then got slammed back. The market tried to go somewhere, and the other side said no.
The key word is rejection. Not indecision. Not weakness. Active, forceful rejection. Price reached a level and was pushed away from it with conviction. That's different from a doji where both sides are just confused.
Bullish Rejection
Long lower wick, body at the top. Price tested lower levels and got rejected. Buyers stepped in at the low and drove price back up. The longer the lower wick relative to the body, the stronger the rejection. This is telling you: "this level below was tested and defended."
Bearish Rejection
Long upper wick, body at the bottom. Price tested higher levels and got rejected. Sellers stepped in at the high and drove price back down. This is telling you: "this level above was tested and defended." The buyers who pushed up are now trapped.
Why It Matters
Why Rejection Candles Are Everything
They tell you where the pressure is
A rejection candle at a supply zone tells you sellers are defending that level. A rejection candle at a demand zone tells you buyers are defending it. Without rejection, a zone is just a drawing on your chart. Rejection is the confirmation that the zone is active.
They show you trapped traders
When price wicks up into a supply zone and slams back down, every buyer who entered during that wick is now trapped - they bought near the high and price is now below them. Those trapped traders will eventually need to close their positions (by selling), which adds fuel to the move in the rejection direction. Rejection creates momentum.
They're your entry confirmation
In every strategy you'll learn in this cohort - whether it's a zone-touch scalp or a session strategy - you'll be looking for a rejection candle as your entry trigger. You identify the zone, you wait for price to reach it, and then you look for rejection. No rejection? No entry. It's that straightforward.
Key Rule
Shape Matters More Than Color
Two candles can be different colors but tell the exact same story. What matters is the shape: where the body sits relative to the wick and where the candle appears in the trend.
Same Shape: Long Lower Wick
Pink body
=
Black body
Same rejection. Both say "sellers pushed down and got rejected." The pink version is the classic signal, but a black body with a long lower wick carries the same directional message. The wick is the story, not the body color.
Same Shape: Long Upper Wick
Black body
=
Pink body
Same rejection. Both say "buyers pushed up and got rejected." The black version is the classic signal, but a pink body with a long upper wick still signals rejection of higher prices. The long upper wick is the message.
The shape tells you what happened. The location tells you what it means. A candle with a long lower wick and a small body at the top always means the same thing: sellers tried to push down and got rejected. Whether the body is pink or black doesn't change that story. What changes the meaning is where it shows up: at the bottom of a move (reversal signal) or at the top (warning signal).
The Checklist
How to Confirm Real Rejection
Not every wick is rejection. Here's how to tell the difference between real rejection and noise.
1Wick must be 2x+ the body
A wick barely longer than the body isn't rejection. The wick needs to be at least twice the height of the body to signal real rejection.
2Must be at a key level
A rejection wick at a supply zone, demand zone, or previous high/low is meaningful. The same candle in the middle of nowhere is just noise.
3Close should be convincing
On a bullish rejection, the close should be in the upper third of the candle's range. On bearish, the lower third. Closing in the middle is indecision, not rejection.
4The next candle must confirm
Real rejection gets confirmed by the next candle moving in the rejection direction. If a hammer forms and the next candle closes lower, the rejection failed.
5Wick must be one-sided
True rejection has the long wick on one side only. If both wicks are long, that's indecision (doji or spinning top), not directional rejection.
✦The number one mistake new traders make with rejection candles is seeing wicks everywhere and calling everything rejection. A wick is just a wick. Rejection is a wick at a level that matters, with a body that confirms conviction, followed by continuation. Learn to be picky about what you call rejection - it will save you from bad entries.
Common Mistakes
This is NOT Rejection
Beginners mistake these candles for rejection all the time. Learn the difference now so you don't take bad entries later.
Equal Wicks, Small Body
This is a spinning top - indecision, not rejection. Both wicks are long, meaning neither side was rejected. Both tried and both failed equally.
Big Body, Normal Wicks
The body is too large relative to the wick. This is just a normal candle with some wick - the wick isn't 2× the body. Doesn't qualify as rejection.
Short Wick, Big Body
A wick that's shorter than the body is not rejection. It's just normal price action. Every candle has some wick - that alone doesn't mean anything was rejected.
Right Shape, Wrong Location
This has the hammer shape - but if it's in the middle of a range (not at a key level or at the bottom of a move), it's just a candle with a wick. Location makes the pattern.
At a Glance
Pattern Quick Reference
Pattern
Key Feature
Signal
Where to Find
Hammer
Small body top, long lower wick
↑ Bullish Reversal
Bottom of downtrend
Inverted Hammer
Small body bottom, long upper wick
↑ Bullish Reversal
Bottom of downtrend
Bullish Marubozu
Full pink body, no wicks
↑ Strong Continuation
During uptrend
Dragonfly Doji
No body, long lower wick, T-shape
↑ Bullish Reversal
Bottom of downtrend
Hanging Man
Same as Hammer - different context
↓ Bearish Warning
Top of uptrend
Shooting Star
Small body bottom, long upper wick
↓ Bearish Reversal
Top of uptrend
Gravestone Doji
No body, long upper wick, inverted T
↓ Bearish Reversal
Top of uptrend
Bearish Marubozu
Full black body, no wicks
↓ Strong Continuation
During downtrend
Doji
No body, equal wicks
⟷ Indecision
Anywhere
Spinning Top
Small body, equal wicks
⟷ Weakening Trend
After extended moves
Long-Legged Doji
No body, extremely long wicks
⟷ Major Indecision
Before big moves
✦Context is everything. A hammer at the bottom of a downtrend means something completely different from the same shape in the middle of a range. The pattern alone is never enough - always ask: where is this candle within the broader structure? That's what we'll build in Class 04 with market structure.
⏱️
Timeframes
From Class 02 · Futures Basics
Now that you understand how to read individual candles, there's one critical setting that changes how those candles look - the timeframe. This single setting determines how much time each candle represents.
What is a timeframe? A timeframe is the duration of time each candlestick on your chart represents. On a 1-minute chart, each candle shows 1 minute of price action. On a 15-second chart, each candle shows 15 seconds. On a daily chart, each candle shows an entire day. Same market, same price movement - but a completely different view depending on your timeframe.
The Key Concept - Think Google Maps
Imagine you're looking at New York on Google Maps. Zoomed all the way out, you see the whole city as one shape. Zoom in a little and you see neighborhoods. Zoom in more and you see individual streets. Zoom all the way in and you see every house, every driveway, every tree. The city didn't change. Your view did.
Timeframes work the exact same way. The market is the city. A 1-hour candle is the zoomed-out view - you see the big picture. A 5-minute candle is like seeing the neighborhoods. A 1-minute candle shows you the streets. And a 15-second candle? That's Google Street View - you see every single detail of what happened.
Same City, Different Zoom
Same price action, different timeframe
🌎
The whole city
1 Hour
1 candle shows everything
🏘️
Neighborhoods
15 Min
4 candles per hour
🛣️
Streets
5 Min
12 candles per hour
🏠
Every detail
15 Sec
240 candles per hour
Interactive
Try It: Zoom Into the Map
Click each zoom level. Same place, more detail. This is exactly how timeframes work on your chart.
ZOOM: 1x
The Whole City
At this zoom, New York City is one shape on the map. You see it exists, you see water around it, but you can't see any streets or buildings. This is the 1-hour chart: one candle holds the entire hour.
Trading Parallel
On a 1-hour chart, you see overall direction and major levels. One candle, one story. You know the trend, but none of the detail inside it.
Interactive · Click to Explore
Timeframe Explorer: 9:00 - 10:00 AM
The same hour of trading, viewed at different zoom levels. Click each timeframe to see how the candles change.
Viewing: 1 candle covering the full hour (9:00 - 10:00 AM)
1 hour ÷ 1 hour = 1 candle
9:00 AM9:159:309:4510:00 AM
Zoomed all the way out. One single candle holds the entire hour of trading. You can see the open, close, high, and low - but none of the detail in between. This is your big-picture view.
Common Timeframes
At a Glance
Timeframe
Each Candle Shows
Best For
How Much History You See
15s
15 seconds of price action
Scalping (this is us)
~30 min on screen
1m
1 minute of price action
Scalping / short-term setups
~2 hours on screen
5m
5 minutes of price action
Analysis / structure
~8 hours on screen
15m
15 minutes of price action
Key levels / zones
~2 days on screen
30m
30 minutes of price action
Identifying key levels
~4 days on screen
1h
1 hour of price action
Structure / swing setups
~1 week on screen
4h
4 hours of price action
Swing trading / big levels
~1 month on screen
D
1 full day of price action
Long-term trend
~6 months on screen
Know Your Style
Trading Styles - Which One Are You?
Your timeframe determines your trading style. There are three main styles - and the one you choose shapes everything from how long you're in a trade to how many trades you take per day.
Scalping
The fastest style. You're in and out of trades in seconds to minutes, targeting small, precise moves. High frequency, tight risk, fast decisions.
Timeframes: 15-second, 1-minute, 5-minute Trades per day: 2–8 Hold time: Seconds to minutes
Day Trading
You hold trades for minutes to hours, always closing by end of day. Fewer trades than scalping but bigger targets. Requires patience to let trades develop.
Timeframes: 1-minute, 5-minute, 15-minute Trades per day: 1–4 Hold time: Minutes to hours
Swing Trading
You hold trades for days to weeks, riding bigger market moves. Fewest trades, biggest targets, requires overnight exposure and wider stop losses.
Timeframes: 4-hour, daily, weekly Trades per week: 0–2 Hold time: Days to weeks
✦In this cohort, we are scalpers. We use the 15-second timeframe to enter our trades with precision. But we also look at higher timeframes (5-minute, 15-minute, 1-hour) to understand the bigger picture - where the key levels are, what direction the market is trending, and where supply and demand zones are sitting. You'll hear us say "zoom out" a lot - that means switching to a higher timeframe to see the broader context before zooming back in to the 15-second chart to take the trade.
How We Use Multiple Timeframes
We don't just trade off one timeframe. Our process uses a top-down approach:
Our Timeframe Flow
11-hour or 15-minute chart: Identify the overall trend direction and mark key supply/demand zones.
25-minute chart: Zoom in to see the recent structure, where price is in relation to your zones, and confirm your directional bias.
315-second chart: This is your execution timeframe. Once you've identified the setup on the higher timeframes, you drop to 15s to find your precise entry, set your stop loss, and take the trade.
Quick Check
You want to take 2-8 fast trades per day on the 15-second chart, holding for seconds to minutes. What trading style is this?
A.Day Trading
B.Scalping
C.Swing Trading
Quick Check
You look at the 1-hour chart to find key levels, the 5-minute chart to confirm your bias, and the 15-second chart to enter. What is this approach called?
You're scanning a live chart and identifying 3 specific candle types from what we just learned:
Strength
Big body, small wicks. One side dominated.
Rejection
Long wick on one side. Price got slammed back.
Indecision
Small body, wicks both ways. Nobody won.
For each candle you find, you need to answer three questions: What type is it? (name it), Who was in control? (buyers, sellers, or neither), and What happened during that candle? (tell the price story from open to close).
Setup
Both partners pull up NQ1! on TradingView on the 5-minute timeframe. Scroll to any point in recent price action. Both of you need to be looking at the same time window. One partner shares their screen or both navigate to the same timestamp.
Minutes 1-7 · Partner A Leads
Find & Teach 3 Candles
Partner A scans the chart and finds one strength candle, one rejection candle, and one indecision candle. For each one, Partner A explains: what type, who was in control, and what happened. Partner B listens and either agrees or challenges the read.
Minutes 8-14 · Partner B Leads
Find & Teach 3 Different Candles
Partner B takes over and finds 3 new candles Partner A didn't pick. Same criteria: one strength, one rejection, one indecision. No repeats.
If You're in a Trio
Three partners, same format, adjusted timing. Partner A leads minutes 1-5, Partner B leads minutes 6-10, Partner C leads minutes 11-14. Each person still finds 3 candles (one strength, one rejection, one indecision). The third partner acts as the "judge" during each round: they listen to both the presenter and the challenger, then give their own read. Minute 15 is still your debrief.
Minute 15 · Quick Debrief
Before time is called: What's one thing that clicked for you? and What's one candle type you're still unsure about? If you're both unsure about the same thing, post it in Circle.
Share-Back Rule: When class comes back together, each person speaks for their partner, not themselves. Example: "My partner found a rejection candle at a previous swing low that I missed. She pointed out the long lower wick and explained that sellers got rejected there." Speaking for your partner forces you to listen during the breakout, not just wait for your turn.
What to Bring Back
Before your breakout ends, each person takes one screenshot of their partner's best candle find. Here's how:
1Right-click the candle your partner found on TradingView and use the text or arrow annotation tool to label it with the pattern name.
2Screenshot it. On Mac: Cmd+Shift+4. On Windows: Win+Shift+S.
3Be ready to share your screen when we come back. You'll show your partner's screenshot and explain what they found and why it matters.
Keep it simple. One screenshot per person. The screenshot should show the candle with an annotation. When you share back, you have 30 seconds: name the candle, say who was in control, and explain the price story. That's it.
What La'Kera is Looking For
This isn't graded, but here's what separates a good breakout from a great one: Can you explain why you labeled it that way? Saying "that's a hammer" isn't enough. Saying "that's a hammer because the body is small at the top, the lower wick is about 3x the body, and it's sitting at the bottom of this move down, so sellers tried to push lower and buyers rejected it" is the level you're building toward.