📊 Understanding Candle Anatomy
What Are Candlesticks?
Candlesticks are visual representations of price movements within a specific time frame. Each candle tells a story of market sentiment and price action.
Candle Components:
Body: The thick part showing opening and closing prices
Wicks/Shadows: Thin lines showing highest and lowest prices
Open: Starting price of the time period
Close: Ending price of the time period
High: Highest price reached
Low: Lowest price reached
🟢 Green Candles (Bullish)
Formation: Close price > Open price
Market Sentiment: Buyers are in control
Psychology: Optimism and buying pressure
Green Candle Patterns:
Long Green Body: Strong bullish momentum
Green Doji: Indecision after bullish move
Green Hammer: Potential reversal from downtrend
Green Marubozu: Pure buying pressure (no wicks)
🔴 Red Candles (Bearish)
Formation: Close price < Open price
Market Sentiment: Sellers dominate
Psychology: Fear and selling pressure
Red Candle Patterns:
Long Red Body: Strong bearish momentum
Red Doji: Market indecision
Red Shooting Star: Potential reversal from uptrend
Red Marubozu: Pure selling pressure
💡 Trading Strategies
1. Trend Following Strategy
Bullish Trend: Look for consecutive green candles
Entry: Buy on pullbacks (small red candles)
Exit: When trend shows weakness
2. Reversal Strategy
Bullish Reversal: Long red candle followed by green
Bearish Reversal: Long green candle followed by red
Confirmation: Wait for volume confirmation
3. Support & Resistance Strategy
At Support: Look for green candles bouncing off support
At Resistance: Watch for red candles rejecting resistance
Breakout: Strong candles breaking key levels
4. Doji Strategy
After Trend: Doji candles signal potential reversal
Confirmation: Wait for next candle to confirm direction
Risk Management: Use tight stops
⚠️ Risk Management Tips
Position Sizing
Never risk more than 2-3% per trade
Use proper position sizing calculators
Stop Loss Placement
Green Candles: Place stops below recent swing low
Red Candles: Place stops above recent swing high
Doji Candles: Use the full range of the doji
Take Profit Strategies
Target 1: 1:1 Risk-Reward ratio
Target 2: Previous support/resistance levels
Trailing Stop: Let profits run in trending markets
📈 Advanced Tips
Volume Confirmation
High volume + green candle = Strong bullish signal
High volume + red candle = Strong bearish signal
Low volume = Weak signal, be cautious
Time Frame Analysis
Higher Time Frame: Determines overall trend
Lower Time Frame: Provides precise entry points
Alignment: Best trades align multiple time frames
Market Context
News Events: Can invalidate technical analysis
Market Hours: Different sessions show different behaviors
Volatility: Adjust strategies based on market conditions
🎯 Key Takeaways
Green candles indicate buying pressure and bullish sentiment
Red candles show selling pressure and bearish sentiment
Candle size and volume provide strength confirmation
Context matters - always consider the bigger picture
Risk management is more important than being right
Practice with demo accounts before risking real money