Why take a body? Why make a Ring?

[Lalwendë]

Just cross posted with you - with some other thoughts. Sorry!

Hmm, but Ulmo's 'form' is an elemental one, one which necessarily interacts with the world. The other Ainur also either take on 'humanoid' (don't like that word) or 'elemental' forms. Those who take on 'elemental' forms seem to become personifications of those elements - e.g. Varda as the stars, Yavanna as plants. They very much become part of the fabric of Arda.

So I would say that Sauron too had to take on a form or an 'aspect' in order to interact with Arda too. When Sauron is without physical form all he can do is 'influence', he cannot physically interact with the world. However, there was still the Ring, so something 'physical' of him still existed. So could we say he never really went away for that time? Also, the Ringwraiths existed throughout that time, bound to him.