Long wicks are not decoration — they are a receipt for rejected liquidity. A candle's high and low mark where resting orders (stop-losses, breakout entries) were consumed before price snapped back. The wick-to-body ratio quantifies how violently that rejection occurred.

Ratio = (upper wick + lower wick) / body. A ratio above 2 signals indecision or absorption; above 4 signals a failed auction.

Upper wick: buyers pushed, sellers absorbed — supply overhead
Lower wick: sellers pushed, buyers absorbed — demand beneath
Both-sided wick: two-way auction, no resolution

Ratio	Interpretation	Follow-through odds
< 1	Trend conviction	High
1–2	Mild hesitation	Moderate
2–4	Absorption / rejection	Low
> 4	Failed auction	Very low