A Gravestone Doji pattern is a particular type of Doji Candlestick Pattern that can be very powerful in detecting price signals of an asset. In our last post, we discussed the basics of the a Doji Candlestick. Today, we will explain the Gravestone Doji in a simple way that will immediately make you a better trader.

In this post we will breakdownthe Gravestone Doji Candlestick by understanding the meaning of what it's trying to tell us. This will ensure that you don't have to memorize the candlestick name. In fact, once you're done reading this post, you'll never have to reference it again.

Gravestone Doji – A Bearish Doji Candlestick

The Gravestone Doji suggests that the bears took the bulls down at the very last moment. Despite having the initial pump (refer to high), the bulls couldn't hold price past the candlestick Open. The gravestone doji is indicative of a massive bear victory.

Gravestone Doji: Meaning & Psychology

The Gravestone Doji can be traded most effectively once a trader understands the meaning and psychology behind the pattern. Most traders attempt to memorise various patterns. This is extremely unfeasible and ineffective because each candlestick pattern is context-dependent. Once a trader understand the meaning behind the candlestick pattern, he will be able to trade the pattern in every context. In this article, we will provide examples of the Gravestone Doji Pattern in the following contexts:

1. Gravestone Doji in a Downtrend
2. Gravestone Doji in a Uptrend
3. Gravestone Doji at the Bottom
4. Gravestone Doji at the Top

Let's start with understanding the "meaning" of a Gravestone Doji Candlestick. In order to do this, we will walk through a scenario where a Candlestick Pattern is in the process of being formulated, but has not yet formed just yet. On each phase of the Doji Candlestick, we  will explain the meaning we can derive from the pattern as the candle shapes itself.

There are three images below, each depicting various stages of a Candlestick pattern. Let's assume that the Candlestick represents a single day's worth of price action.

In the first image we can see a big green full body candle: 

What information is this providing us? What can we derive from this? We can start by looking at the OHLC of the Candlestick.  We notice that the Open and Low are both at $1, and the Close and High are both sitting at $5. Interesting...

With this information, we can derive a story from the current phase of the candle. Since the low of the market matches the open of the market, we conclude that the bulls pushed the price up as soon as the candle opened. We don't have even the slightest of wicks under the open.  With this we can conclude that the bears have not been able to exert any pressure on the bulls whatsoever.

In fact, the bulls pushed price up all the way to the $5 mark. As depicted in the image, this is the HIGH of the candlestick as well as the current "CLOSE" of the candlestick. But remember, the candlestick hasn't officially ended yet. We are watching it as it develops through the day. That being said, at it's current stage we can conclude that the bulls are in firm control 

Now let's take a look at the second phase of the Gravestone Doji pattern...

Once again, we will begin with an analysis of the OHLC of the candlestick. In this phase of the candlestick pattern, we can see that the HIGH and the CLOSE of the candle are no longer matching.  The HIGH of the candle is still $5. However, the current CLOSE of the candle is now sitting at $3. 

What does this tell us? With this new information, what can we add to our story thus far?

Well, at this current phase of the Gravestone Candlestick pattern, the Bears seem to be finally applying some pressure on the Bulls. The Bears have managed to push the price down from the HIGH of $5 back to $3.

Keep in mind, however, that this isn't the final phase of the candlestick. Until the candle officially  "closes", the Bulls may still be able to push the price back up and re-assert their former control.  However, on the flipside, the Bears may be able to push the price down even further.

Now let's assess the final stage of the Gravestone Doji Candlestick Pattern:

This is where things get extremely interesting. This is a completely different picture from Phase 1 of the candlestick pattern. Recall that in the first phase of the candlestick pattern, the candlestick depicted a full bodied candle. The full-body candle in the first phase of the candlestick indicated Bull-strength. However, in this final stage we have a different picture to the story. 

Let's perform an OHLC analysis of the candlestick.  We can see the In this stage of the candlestick pattern, the bears have pushed the price down all the way to the OPEN of the candlestick. In fact,  the OPEN, the CLOSE and the LOW are all at the same price of $1.

Essentially, the candlestick Opened and Closed at the same price, despite the magnitude of the initial bullish effort. Such price action usually renders a Gravestone Doji Pattern.  The key points to note are the following:

1. The Bears were able to push the price back down all the way to the initial OPEN of the candlestick.
2. The Bulls were able to defend the OPEN of the candlestick.

The second point is often ignored, but it's extremely important. The Bears were able to step up and put a lot of pressure on the Bulls, and that is definitely a good show of Bear-strength.  However, a good trader should not ignore the fact that the Bears were not able to push the candlestick under the OPEN of the candlestick pattern. This information can be crucial when determining your trades within a bigger context. For example, a gravestone doji in an uptrend may be treated very differently from a gravestone doji in a downtrend. 

Gravestone Doji in an Uptrend

As mentioned earlier in the article, a smart trader will always consider the contextual environment of the Gravestone Doji. A Gravestone Doji in an uptrend will have different trade opportunities compared to that of a Gravestone Doji in a downtrend. In this section we will provide examples of how to trade a Gravestone in an uptrend.

The following image is an illustration of an uptrend leading to a Gravestone Doji:

The image also indicates an uptrend that preceded the Gravestone Doji. This is important contextual information that a trader should take into consideration when putting on a trade.

For example, a more cautious trader would not be in a rush to put on a short position on the close of the Gravestone Doji candlestick. Why? Because the bulls still have the trend in their favour. 

You might be asking, however: "Isn't a Gravestone Doji supposed to be bearish?" Indeed, the bears have definitely applied some pressure on the bulls. But recall from the previous section of this article, that we should not ignore this key point: The Bulls were able to defend the OPEN of the candlestick.

Since the bears were not able to demonstrate their ability to push the price underneath the open, a smart trader would instead wait for confirmation of bear strength. A trade opportunity would trigger toward the downtrend once the next candlestick took out the low of the Gravestone Doji candlestick (as illustrated in the image above).  

Trading A Gravestone Doji in an Uptrend

There are multiple methods that a trader can employ to initiate a trade on a Gravestone Doji in an uptrend. In this section we will discuss three possible methods:

a) Price ticks under the OPEN of the Gravestone Doji in an uptrend
b) Price closes under the low of the Gravestone Doji candlestick in an uptrend
c) Price closes under the low of the Gravestone Doji and offers a "retest" in the direction of the uptrend.

a) Price ticks under the OPEN of the Gravestone DojiI

In this secnario, the trader would look to enter the trade as soon as the next candle ticks under the low of the Gravestone Doji that preceded it. Price ticking under the low of the Gravestone Doji would be enough confirmation to the trader that the Bulls have lost control of the uptrend and the bears were able to push the price further down.

b) Price closes under the OPEN of the Gravestone Doji

This scenario is an extension to the previous scenario where the trader adds a bit more caution to his trade setup.  In this scenario, the trader would wait for the following candle after the Gravestone Doji candle to officially close underneath the open of the Gravestone Doji. This will give the trade more confirmation of the bears applying pressure on the uptrend.

Essentially, he would not enter his trade until the candlestick that followed the Gravestone Doji has fully confirmed its close under the open of the Gravestone candlestick pattern. This is a more cautious and conservative approach where the trader is defending against the possibility of the uptrend continuation.

However,  there is always a trade off. Sometimes, waiting for a candle close underneath the Gravestone Doji may lead to a trade-entry that is further away from the ideal entry that a trade may want. Depending on the traders overall strategy, he may want either he may choose to either enter the trade anyway or wait for price to retrace or "retest" the Gravestone Doji on the next candle.

This leads us to the third scenario:

c)  Price closes under the low of the Gravestone Doji and offers a "retest"

In this scenario, the trader would wait for the following candle after the Gravestone Doji candle to officially close underneath the open of the Gravestone Doji. But if the price closes too far away from the open/close of the Gravestone Doji the trader may decide to wait for price to retrace upwards a bit before taking a short position. This will allow the trader to milk out more profits while still maintaining the same risk parameters.

Trading The Gravestone Doji

A gravestone doji could be found under different market contexts. Such as during bull rallies, market consolidations, as well in market dumps. Regardless of context, the Gravestone Doji remains a bearish candlestick.

The Gravestone Doji is analyzed as such when found under the following context:

1. Bull Rally - It takes conviction from the bulls to sustain a rally. However, a gravestone doji in a bull rally suggests the bears won out. Hence, conviction from the bulls are wearing off. The doji is viewed as a potential reversal candle in this context.

2. Bear Dump - Severe price dumps tend to cause panic selling. Wherein, retailers are looking for the next best opportunity to sell their bags. Hence, when price bounces even slightly, traders sell into it. This price action is likely to render a gravestone doji, and is a sign of continuation.
3. Market Consolidation - This isn’t always common. However when it occurs, it implies strong bearish market sentiment. The gravestone doji is viewed a sign of bearish sentiment and dominance.

Recall from our post on regular Doji candlesticks, the Open and Close price in a doji are the same. Suggesting a tie between bulls and bears. While this is true for all Doji’s, in some cases a stronger side is prevalent. One such case being the Dragonfly Doji. 

However, as the candle played out, bulls started to buy-back the asset quite heavily (Refer to Image 2). The buying pressure got to a point where the price was back to $5 - back to the Open price. The Bulls managed to support price at $5 until the candle Close (Refer to Image 3). 

Such price action would render a Dragonfly Doji. Suggesting Bulls are the stronger force, and are in control. 

What must be noted here is that the Bulls, despite being initially dwarfed by tremendous Sell pressure, made a swooping comeback. Not only did the Bulls push price back up to the Open at $5, they supported it until candle Close. 

In a dragonfly doji the momentum is with the Bulls (buyers), and price is likely to see continuation to the upside. This simple truth makes the dragonfly doji a bullish candlestick and a great price forecaster. It’s easy to pick the most profitable side of a trade (Bull/Bear), when you know where market momentum lies. 

Doji’s with strong Bullish or Bearish implications, like the dragonfly doji, often make for good reversal candles. However, this is only true when found under the right candlestick patterns (context). 

For a Dragonfly Doji to be a reversal candle, there should have been a preceding downtrend. Given the bullish implication of the dragonfly doji, it can only logically “reverse” an ongoing downtrend. 

Note that they make for better reversal candles on Overextended dumps/downtrends. If a dragonfly doji is found during the early stages of a downtrend, it may just signify a short pause, or relief before the trend continues down. 

While the dragonfly doji makes for a good reversal candle in a downtrend, it isn’t always found in one. Dragonfly Doji's are also found in periods of price consolidation, as well as uptrends, and are perceived as follows:

• Bullish Uptrend - Strong sign of possible Continuation to the upside
• Bearish (overextended) Downtrend - Sign of Possible Reversal. Depending on how overextended the dump/downtrend
• Market Consolidation (side-ways movement) - Bullish market sentiment, likely continuation to the upside. 

The first step toward becoming a professional technical trader, irrespective of market (cryptocurrency, forex, traditional etc), is to understand price action through Candlestick Analysis. In particular, the various types of Doji Candlestick. Knowing this would give you an edge on forecasting market reversals and market sentiment like a professional. Additionally, it will keep you on the right side of the market - the profitable side! 

Candlestick Analysis - A Beginners summary

To better grasp the different types of candlesticks, like the doji candlestick, let’s start with the basics:

The Anatomy of a Candlestick - A candlestick has 4 components (refer to Image - Candlestick Components - assume its a 1D candlestick):

1. The Open: The price at which a crypto/stock starts the day at 
2. The Close: The price at which  a crypto/stock ends the day at 
3. The High: The highest price a crypto/stock hits during that day
4. The Low: The lowest price a crypto/stock his during that day

The Open and Close make up the thick part of the candlestick, known as the Body. Whereas the High and Low make up the thin parts, known as the Shadows (some call it the Wick). Together they form a candlestick.

Each candlestick plays out over a specific time span, depending on what timeframe you’re looking at. Example: A candlestick on the daily chart is the open, close, high and low within the last 24hours. I.e each candlestick represents ALL the price action that took place during a 1 Day time span. 

TradingView Tip: If you're wondering what time each candlestick begins, simply hover your mouse on the candle, and look out for the timestamp on your x-axis.

What is a DOJI Candlestick?

Remember, price rallies and dumps need conviction to continue, and a doji candlestick is counterintuitive to that.

4 Types Of Doji Candlesticks

There are 4 types of doji candlesticks. All of which have bullish or bearish implications. This depends on whether the doji is found in an uptrend, or downtrend. 

The 4 types of Doji's are as follows: 

1. The Common Doji –  A Neutral Candle suggesting a tie between bulls and bears ( image 'Doji candlestick')
2. The Gravestone Doji – A Bearish Doji Candlestick. A good reversal indicator in an overextended uptrend
3. The Dragonfly Doji   – A Bullish Doji Candlestick. A good reversal indicator in an over-sold Bear dump/downtrend.
4. Long Legged Doji - A Bullish or Bearish Doji Candlestick, depending on whether its found in an uptrend or downtrend. 

   Note that doji candlesticks are commonly observed as Reversal Candles when found on over extended bull rally, or an oversold downtrend.

Why are Doji's known as Reversal Candles?

Doji candles signify tired trends when found in the middle of an uptrend or downtrend. As mentioned above, rallies and dumps need conviction to continue, and a doji candlestick is counterintuitive to that. They represent a tie between bulls and bears. 

However, a tie (doji) doesn't necessarily have to imply a reversal. It could also imply a short pause in the underlying trend, or a 'soon approaching' reversal. This is where the trader heeds caution, and looks for follow-up price action to come up with an informed hypothesis. 

Usually, doji's make for good reversal indicators when found on overextended rallies, or oversold dumps. When found in the early stages of a trend, the doji candlestick is unlikely to mark a reversal. 

A good example of a Bearish Reversal Doji  was in BTC's overextended Bull Rally. A Bearish doji candlestick was spotted on the Daily BTC/USD chart on Dec 18th, 2017 (refer to image below). This was during BTC's mega bull rally to $20K back in 2017

Identifying Candlestick Patterns

Each candlestick, including a doji candlestick, is akin to one piece of a puzzle. It’s only a hint at the bigger picture. To get a better idea of the picture, you’ll need to analyze several candlesticks together. You need to identify a candlestick pattern.

While there are such things as Bullish candlesticks, Bearish candlesticks, Reversal candles etc. Identifying these candles are of no significance without any context.

The context comes from recent price action around such candles. For example, "was there a preceding rally or dump?" and "was it over extended?". Such pieces of information are only derived from analyzing a set of candlesticks together - Analyzing a Candlestick Pattern for bullish or bearish signals.

Identifying a doji candlestick within a candlestick pattern can help solidify price forecast tremendously, and keep you prepared for any adverse price moves in the market. 

For the sake of brevity, we'll discuss the various types of Bullish and Bearish Candlestick patterns, as well as various Bullish and Bearish Doji Candlestick in upcoming posts.

Pieces Of The Candlestick Puzzle 

Candlestick analysis is like solving a puzzle. Identifying a Doji candlestick is like finding a piece of the puzzle that grows more pivotal to the whole picture, the more puzzles you add to it. A Candlestick Pattern is akin to solving a third of the puzzle and getting a good idea of what the end picture holds.