[Folwren]

Don't get mad at me for this, and don't quote me, either, but...

I've heard (don't necessarly believe it myself) that demons and other spirits and the like who sometimes posses people enter into a physical body so that they can interact and touch (physically and through the mind with words and feelings and such) other people and/or things. So that, more easily, they can influence what happens. Whereas, when they are mere spirits floating around, they have no anchor, no real, tangible power.

That being said, perhaps Sauron took a form so that he did have some power with the other beings of Middle-Earth? Maybe when he was a spirit, he could not interact with the inhabitants of the world half so well as he could when he had a body.

As to binding his powers into the Ring....I don't know. I believe there have been discussions here about Wizards' staffs. That they didn't need them, perse, to perform their 'magic', but it gave them something to channel their powers through. Perhaps it works the same with Sauron. Perhaps having something through which to channel his power made it easier to use said power. You know he wasn't powerless without that Ring. But we also know, that with it, his power was redoubled (or more than doubled....).

Maybe?

-- Folwren