Hot water valve in the basement (how do I turn it off?)
The green arrow shows the direction to turn to close it.
The purple arrow shows the packing nut discussed in the comments.
I'm not sure what you mean about North, South, etc but if this thing is installed in the ceiling with the red handle pointing up, you could stand directly below it,  reach up and over it with your hand to grab it from above, then turn your body to the right.