Candlesticks and market structure

Anatomy of a completed candle

Open is the first observation, close the last, high the maximum and low the minimum within the interval. The body spans open to close; wicks extend to high and low. A valid bar has low at or below both body endpoints and high at or above them. Its timestamp must correspond to a known interval. An incomplete bar can change and should not be treated as a completed historical observation.

Structure is a description

Higher swing highs and higher swing lows describe one type of upward structure; lower highs and lower lows describe a downward structure. Define a consistent swing window before comparing charts. A single candle pattern does not establish probability, market liquidity or a profitable entry. Missing bars are missing evidence: never fill gaps with invented market prices.

Timeframes change the question

A one-minute candle and a daily candle aggregate different observation windows. A trend on one need not agree with another. LEGION offers 1m, 5m, 15m, 1H, 4H, 1D and 1W for practice. Its synthetic illustrations are independently modeled per timeframe, not proof of a consistent live cross-timeframe feed.

Practice exercise

Switch between 1m and 1H, read the candle timestamp and source label, and explain why a wider candle body does not itself mean larger trading volume.

Open trading terminal (requires a customer account). Compare illustrative indicators.