Shooting Star
A bearish reversal candle with a small body near the low and a long upper wick showing strong rejection of higher prices.
BearishReversalMedium reliability
wickrejectiontopupper shadow
Definition
- Single candle.
- Small real body near the low of the candle.
- Long upper wick (often 2–3× the body).
- Little to no lower wick.
Market Psychology
- Buyers push price up during the session.
- Sellers aggressively reject higher prices and force the close near the lows.
- Signals weakness / exhaustion if it happens after a rally.
Rules
- Best after an uptrend or strong push into resistance.
- Upper wick should stand out compared to recent candles.
- Body near the bottom third of the candle range is ideal.
Best Context
- After a rally into resistance.
- At range highs.
- After a stop run above prior swing highs.
Confirmation Ideas
- Next candle closes below the shooting star low or midpoint.
- Resistance confluence (prior highs, supply zone, range high).
- Lower timeframe breakdown structure after the candle prints.
Invalidations
- Price breaks and holds above the shooting star high.
- Immediate reclaim of the wick (strong buyers).
Common Mistakes
- Trading it during chop with no trend.
- Shorting without confirmation when buyers are still strong.
- Ignoring that “long upper wick” is relative to the recent average.