Not every one will be consistent in the way they tell you, but the way it should be described is such that you are looking from the object being turned toward the object into which it is turning. Thus when turning a spoke you look from the nipple (rim) toward the spoke (hub), when turning a cable adjuster you look from the adjuster along the cable toward the derailleur or lever. It's actually much more helpful in the long run to understand why you are doing a procedure (what the effect is) rather than just memorizing or following instructions by rote.