What the Heck Am I Looking At?
Let’s be honest — if you’ve ever opened a chart for the first time, you probably thought:
“What the heck am I looking at?”
Candles, wicks, colors, lines, squiggles — it’s a mess. And even if you’ve been trading for a while, you might still be asking that question. I’ve been there. We all have. So let’s strip it back and talk about what you’re really seeing.
The Chart Isn’t the Market — It’s a Story
Every candle is a conversation between buyers and sellers. That green candle? Buyers pushed harder. That red one? Sellers had more muscle. But it’s not just about color — it’s where the move happens, how fast it happens, and what came before it.
Forget all the indicators for a second. Price is trying to tell you something. Your job? Learn the language.
The Chart Tells You Three Things
- Where price has been
- Where price is right now
- How fast (or slow) it got there
If you can grasp just that, you're ahead of half the people throwing tools at their screen hoping something clicks.
Stop Overcomplicating It
I’ve seen traders with 9 indicators stacked, 12 timeframes open, and lines drawn from last year’s highs to their coffee table. None of that matters if you don’t know what price is actually doing.
When I look at a chart, I ask:
- Is price moving fast or slow?
- Is it breaking a previous level or stalling?
- Is it trending or ranging?
- Is momentum building or fading?
It’s not about how much you see — it’s about how clearly you see it.
What I Use (and Why)
I’ll break these down more in future posts, but here’s the core of my setup:
- Heikin-Ashi candles — they smooth out the noise and help me focus on flow
- Support/resistance zones — just areas where price reacts — no mystery, just logic
- Custom indicators I build — built to confirm, not replace thinking
- EUR/USD + $DXY — one pair, one inverse — clean narrative, no clutter
It’s Not About the Setup — It’s About the Conditions
The same setup can succeed or fail depending on the context.
You’ve probably seen that — a clean breakout one day flies, and the next day, it fakes out instantly. That’s not because the setup was bad — it’s because the conditions changed. Volatility, momentum, market timing — they matter more than the setup itself.
That’s why I don’t chase signals. I study environment. I let the market tell me if it’s a good day to scalp, swing, or step back. And over time, that becomes instinct.
Final Thought
If your chart overwhelms you, it’s not your fault — most of what’s out there is noise. The goal of this blog is to help you tune that out, focus on what matters, and build real skill.
So yeah, we’re starting from the ground up. And trust me — you’re not the only one who asked, “What the heck am I looking at?”
Good news? You’re about to find out.
