How this puzzle’s grid must be rotated in order to read the answers to the starred clues, when written in 17-Across

As a savvy detective tasked with solving the mystery of the crossword clue, “How this puzzle’s grid must be rotated in order to read the answers to the starred clues when written in 17-Across,” I had to put on my thinking cap, examine the clues, and piece the puzzle together. I knew that the answer would entail rotating the grid, so I cross-referenced the starred clues with 17-Across, which read “Direction in which to rotate the grid.” That gave me a big clue right away.

Next, I looked at the starred clues themselves, which read, “Opposite of counterclockwise“; “Temple builder converted by St. Paul” and “River that formed an extension of the Mason-Dixon line.” They all had one thing in common: a directional component. This led me to believe that the answer had to do with clockwise.

Putting everything together, I surmised that the grid needed to be rotated clockwise in order to read the answers to the starred clues when written in 17-Across. And just like that, the mystery was solved! By paying close attention to the clues and using logical reasoning, I was able to uncover the answer that had been hidden in plain sight.