The One Ring makes mortals invisible by shifting them from the physical world into the spirit/wraith world (Unseen Realm), a place invisible to most, while the wearer perceives this realm, seeing spirits like the Nazgûl, as seen at Weathertop. Because Sauron is a Maia already dwelling in both realms, he remains visible, while hobbits and men (mortals) are partially pulled into this spirit dimension, becoming unseen in the physical world.
The Ring's primary power was control of the other Rings of Power and domination of the wills of their users. The Ring also conferred power to dominate the wills of other beings whether they were wearing Rings or not—but only in proportion to the user's native capacity.
The Ring of Gyges /ˈdʒaɪˌdʒiːz/ (Ancient Greek: Γύγου Δακτύλιος, Gúgou Daktúlios, Attic Greek pronunciation: [ˈɡyːˌɡoː dakˈtylios]) is a hypothetical magic ring mentioned by the philosopher Plato in Book 2 of his Republic (2:359a–2:360d). It grants its owner the power to become invisible at will.
The One Ring didn't make Sauron invisible because he was its creator and true master. The power to render the wearer invisible was just one aspect of the Ring's abilities, primarily affecting mortals like humans, hobbits, and dwarves.
In the text, the Ruling Ring moves a mortal user from the physical world to the Unseen Realm of spirit. Men (Hobbits are a subset of Men) only exist in the physical world so when they put on the Ruling Ring and move into the Unseen Realm they become invisible to other normal observers.
The one ring pulls the wearer into the wraith world, a realm of spirits. This would work for Men (remember Isildur was invisible before the ring slipped off and he was shot?), Hobbits, Dwarves and some Elves. Sauron, a spiritual being, is already present in the wraith world, so does not become invisible.
Why was Sauron afraid of Aragorn potentially possessing the Ring? Gandalf explains it in the Return of the King (during the council after the battle of the Pelennor fields) that Sauron would never think somebody would want to destroy the One Ring.
Power was never going to succeed in defeating evil. Gandalf was at exactly 12.35% of his full power as Gandalf the Grey, this went up of 18.237% as Gandalf the White. The Maia varied greatly, as did the Valar. Even at his fullest, Olorin/Gandalf was not the equal of Mairon/Sauron, not even close.
Aragorn Was Self-Aware And Resistant To Mistakes
Aragorn was conscious of repeating his ancestors' mistakes, which helped him resist the temptation of the One Ring. Boromir had no such personal training or blueprint.
Instead, we have to consider that Sauron, the original owner, is not human, but has a quasi-divine status. Therefore ownership of the Ring is subject to Divine Law. With this precedent in mind, many of the ambiguities clear up nicely. After numerous transfers by violence and trickery, Frodo is the true owner.
Gandalf does not WANT to touch the ring. Just as Galadriel resists the temptation to take it when Frodo offers it to her willingly. And all this because "Power Corrupts". Sauron and the Ring are allegories for the corruption that inevitably arises when too much power is concentrated in one place.
Meteor man is not Gandalf. He's another istari. Gamdalf doesn't come to Middle Earth till end of second age to beginning of third age.
Some ancient writers viewed Atlantis as fictional or metaphorical myth; others believed it to be real. Aristotle believed that Plato, his teacher, had invented the island to teach philosophy.
Sauron's rise to power in the Second Age is portrayed in the Amazon prequel series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. He first appears disguised as the non-canonical human character Halbrand, and then in the second season as Annatar (a canonical alias of Sauron), both played by Charlie Vickers.
Several commentators have seen Gandalf's passage through the Mines of Moria, dying to save his companions and returning as "Gandalf the White", as a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. Like Jesus who carried his cross for the sins of mankind, Frodo carried a burden of evil on behalf of the whole world.
Sauron didn't know the ring was still out there, so he wasn't actively seeking it. Not until gollum was captured was the ring's existence made aware to Sauron.
It's possible that Gollum's prolonged search for the ring allowed it to maintain a significant power over him, suspending his aging process. In contrast, Bilbo's exposure to the ring's influence waned after he willingly (mostly) relinquished it, allowing his aging to resume more noticeably.
Tolkien's description of Gollum conforms to a Catholic – and Thomistic – account of envy, which is a “sadness of the soul”; and it is Gollum's unbearable sadness and his unquenchable desire for the one Ring that marks his character.
It's not the years; it's the mileage. Gandalf isn't a Maia in the same way Sauron is. He was sent to middle earth as an old man, so his body is much more real than Sauron's “raiment”. He can't use his power to the same extent, he can't change his forms at will.
His task was to do the bidding of his masters and so when he proved unfaithful in doing that task his masters stripped him of his robes and gave them to one who would do their bidding. Gandalf is now the White, Saruman as he should have been.
Sauron was originally a Maia of Aulë the Smith; his name then was Mairon, meaning "the admirable." He learned much from Aulë in the ways of forging and crafting, becoming a great craftsman, and mighty in the lore of Aulë's people.
Oh, Galadriel is one of the most powerful elves of all time, and easily the most powerful still in Middle Earth by the Third Age. To the Hobbits she would have appeared as a goddess. But we're comparing her to Gandalf the White at the height of his power, and he's as far beyond her as she is beyond the Hobbits.
As a Maia, Gandalf was an angelic being in human form, in service to the Creator (Eru Ilúvatar) and the Creator's 'Secret Fire'. He took on the specific form of an old man as a sign of his humility. His role was to advise but never to attempt to match Sauron's strength.
Elrond chose the fate of the Elves and therefore the choice was presented to his children. The reason why Eldarion and his sisters (the children of Aragorn and Arwen) were born mortal was because Arwen chose mortality and therefore that fate was passed on to the rest of their line.
He did not trust Gollum, for he divined something indomitable in him, which could not be overcome, even by the Shadow of Fear, except by destroying him.